An invasive grownup zebra mussel was discovered on Sept. 14 in Highline Lake, simply north of Fruita, prompting heightened monitoring and decontamination of boats.
The lake is a part of Highline Lake State Park.
Wildlife officers discovered a single grownup zebra mussel on PVC pipe within the lake throughout a routine invasive species sampling. It is the primary grownup mussel ever present in Colorado, in response to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Two CPW consultants confirmed the mussel’s identification. The mussel was additionally confirmed by means of genetics.
Colorado has thus far escaped the sorts of mussel invasions which have plagued the Nice Lakes area and states surrounding Colorado, together with Texas, Arizona, Nebraska and Kansas.
Mussel larvae have been detected in eight completely different reservoirs in Colorado since 2008, in response to CPW. The newest was at Inexperienced Mountain Reservoir in Summit County in 2017, however that reservoir was declared mussel-free final 12 months after three years of detrimental testing. The complete state was declared mussel-free in January 2021.
In keeping with the US Geological Survey, zebra mussels are an invasive fingernail-sized mollusk. They’re a local to the freshwaters in Eurasia. Their identify comes from the “darkish, zig-zagged stripes on every shell.”
Within the Nice Lakes area, zebra mussels clog wastewater remedy methods and lead to tens of millions of {dollars} in financial and environmental harm. In North America, the species don’t have any identified pure predators.
The mussel discovery prompted CPW to instantly enhance monitoring at Highline Lake for all life phases of invasive mussels. That features inspection and decontamination of boats launching on the lake. Boaters who plan to return to Highline Lake shall be issued a inexperienced seal and blue receipt that signifies the boat was final used on a physique of water with a identified aquatic nuisance species, the CPW assertion stated.
If a boater leaving Highline Lake intends to launch in a distinct water physique, an authorized skilled should decontaminate the boat first.
Highline Lake closes to all surface-water actions yearly on Oct. 1.
“We all know that is an additional step for many who have come out to take pleasure in recreating on the lake, however staying vigilant has confirmed to be efficient all through Colorado,” stated CPW Northwest Area Supervisor Travis Black.
CPW’s Invasive Particular Program Supervisor Robert Walters added, “Though that is very troubling, it is vital to understand that the lake just isn’t thought-about infested.”
Walters stated that designation is given to our bodies of water which have “intensive and reproducing grownup populations.” He famous at this level CPW detected solely a single invasive mussel at Highline.
“We’ll proceed to watch all through the autumn to get a extra full image of the species’ presence within the reservoir,” he stated.
The state ramped up its invasive mussel program in 2018 by means of passage of the Mussel Free Colorado Act by the Common Meeting.
This system requires all boat house owners, whether or not Colorado residents or from out-of-state, to have an aquatic nuisance species (ANS) tag previous to launching in any Colorado lake. The tag, which is $25 for Colorado residents and $50 for out-of-state guests, pays for the state’s watercraft inspection and decontamination prevention system.