Utah waters are tested for mussel infestation

Researchers collected 54 water samples across Utah during the summer and fall, looking for evidence of quagga and zebra mussels, the Division of Wildlife Resources reported this week.

The samples were sent to Colorado for testing, and the early results indicate some presence of veligers, which are microscopic, early-stage forms of the mussels. But DWR officials said in a statement that the results are conflicting for samples from Electric Lake, the Colorado River near Moab, Red Fleet Reservoir and Lake Powell.

No adult mussels have been found anywhere in Utah. They have been found in nearby Lake Pleasant, Lake Havasu and Lake Mead, in Arizona.

"We're not surprised about the conflicting results," said Larry Dalton, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the DWR. "We're using methods that are on the cutting edge of science. Under a microscope, what looks like a microscopic veliger may not turn out to be one when its DNA is tested. And DNA science is not as straightforward and predictive as television would lead you to believe."

The reason DWR officials are vigilant about a possible mussel invasion in Utah is because, once established, the mussels reproduce quickly in large numbers and are difficult to eradicate. The mussels can jeopardize essential power and water infrastructures (like Lake Powell's), destroy recreation areas and equipment, damage ecosystems and cost millions to control.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area officials were aggressive this past summer with a prevention program, requiring many boaters to check their vessels and possibly wash them before putting them into Lake Powell.

---

E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com