Divers still searching for mussels at marina

Divers are still searching for adult quagga or zebra mussels at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Divers with the National Park Service have been searching the Wahweap Marina for the mussels, inspecting boats, cables and dock structures. As of Friday, 500 boats in the marina had been examined for mussels and none were found.

On Wednesday, a boat infested with quagga mussels arrived at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. That boat had come from Lake Mead and was fully decontaminated by ARAMARK and the new Wahweap decontamination station before it was launched into Lake Powell. It was the second boat this year that had come to Glen Canyon with quagga mussels attached.

If established, mussels can reproduce quickly and become problematic. They consume large amounts of food and reduce the amount of oxygen in the water, endangering the fish population.

"We are still actively trying to prevent quagga or zebra mussels from infesting Lake Powell," said Kitty Roberts, Glen Canyon National Recreation superintendent.