Mitch,

I work a desal plant for GE Water out at Diablo Power Plant on the central coast. To answer a couple of those questions ...

"I know PGE runs some power plants on the coast that use salt water for their cooling. So how do they deal with intrusive mussels, barnacles, etc in their cooling water intakes? "
"How do desalination plants deal with the problems of intrusion in their salt water intakes?"

Along with our (GE's) feed lines, PG&E uses bi-yearly "Heat treatment" on the lines. Pre Heating fresh water then running it through the lines. PG&E also uses "labor" to go into the large intakes to scrape barnacles. I am affraid these solutions would not do a lake much good.

I am one that believes that inspection and cleaning stations are a must. Also, I think it is a Federal problem that should be researched fully. It sounds like the answer will be introducing a creature that can wipe out the mussels with out causing more harm to our great resources.

Bryan