Park Service is on lookout for mussels

No one has found any adult zebra mussels in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, but National Park Service officials said they are "vigorously" enforcing a prevention program to keep Lake Powell and surrounding waterways free of the pests that might hitchhike on boats coming from other contaminated bodies of water.

Park Service workers recently fined someone $2,500 for violating the park's inspection and decontamination requirements. This past summer, visitors who did not comply with the park's prevention program were issued citations that required mandatory court appearances. The maximum penalty for a violation is up to a $5,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

Inspection and decontamination services are available year round. If a boat doesn't meet the park's criteria to be inspected, then the owner must self-certify that the vessel is "mussel free." For more information, visit the Web site, www.nps.gov/glca.