PUEBLO, Colo.—State park rangers will check for zebra mussels on any boat that’s been in Lake Pueblo more than 24 hours under a new policy designed to stop the voracious mollusks from spreading.
Boats launched on the lake will now receive time cards to track how long they are in the water.
Vessels coming from mussel-contaminated areas in other states will automatically be checked before launching.
Boats will be power-washed with 140-degree water if zebra mussels are found.
Zebra mussels can clog water pipes, deplete aquatic ecosystems and damage boats. They first were found in the U.S. in 1988 in the Great Lakes region but have spread, mostly by attaching to boats. The mussels were detected in Lake Pueblo in November.
———
Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain,
