DENVER—Invasive mussels known for clogging pumps and competing with native aquatic life have been found in three more lakes near Rocky Mountain National Park in the northern Colorado mountains.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife said Friday the larvae of two related types of mussels were discovered in Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Willow Creek Reservoir west of the park.
The lakes are part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which supplies water to about 780,000 people in northeast Colorado through a tunnel beneath the Continental Divide. It’s not clear what threat, if any, the mussels pose to the project.
“The whole system is interconnected, so yes, we have some concerns,” said Brian Werner, a spokesman for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy, which distributes water from the system.
“We’re doing our best to get our arms around the situation,” he said.
The barnacle-like mussels smother other aquatic organisms and compete with native species for food and habitat. Their massive colonies can plug pumps, pipes and outboard motors. They spread by attaching themselves to boats or other hard surfaces.
The mussels were first discovered in the United States in the Great Lakes in 1988. It’s believed they were carried in a trans-Atlantic ship’s ballast water.
Larvae of both the zebra and quagga mussels were found in Grand Lake, while larvae of the quagga mussel alone were found in Shadow Mountain and Willow Creek reservoirs.
Previously, invasive mussels were found in Lake Pueblo, west of the city of Pueblo, and in Lake Granby, which is connected to Shadow Mountain Reservoir and is part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.
The Division of Wildlife said it is working with local and federal agencies and the water conservancy to develop a response plan.
“Want to try to keep these mussels contained in as few lakes as we can,” division spokesman Jerry Neal said. “It certainly isn’t a lost cause. We want to ramp up that message.”
The division will offer boat inspections and decontamination on Saturday at Grand Lake’s east boat ramp and Lake Granby’s Sunset boat ramp.
Lake Pueblo State Park rangers have been inspecting boats for signs of the mussels. A $500,000 washing station has been installed that uses 140-degree water to kill any mussels that attach themselves to hulls.
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On the Net:
Colorado Division of Wildlife zebra and quagga mussels page: dQuaggaMussels.htm
Colorado-Big Thompson Project:
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District:
