Kansas City, Mo. ? The destructive zebra mussel, which has caused billions of dollars in damage in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River, likely will be floating past Kansas City this summer, experts say, but it’s unclear if zebra mussels will establish colonies here.

The dime- to quarter-sized mollusk could arrive in boats moving upstream following the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Or they could arrive from the Missouri River upstream from Kansas City.

Tiny larval forms of zebra mussels, called veligers, were found in water samples taken last summer from the river. They were found below Fort Randall Dam in South Dakota and farther downstream below Gavins Point Dam, about 420 river miles from Kansas City.

Zebra mussels, which form large colonies on hard surfaces, are harmful to native fish and wildlife. Conservation agencies want boaters to clean hulls, bilge pumps, holding tanks and motors when moving craft between rivers and lakes.