Day: June 10, 2017

#NM and #Colorado invasive mussel regulations

Quaggas on sandal at Lake Mead

From KOB.com (J.R. Oppenheim):

“All it takes is one boat that is infested with the species that goes in the water body and infests the water body. Once they get in the water body there is really nothing to do to get rid of them,” said Robert Walters, CPW invasive species specialist.

It is Zebra and Quagga Mussels that the crews are trying to get rid of. The boat they worked on came from Lake Powell, an infected body of water, and the mussels are apparent in many places that the boat has been in in the water.

“If these were to get into one of these water, the cost would impact everyone not just the users of the water but people using the electricity and facilities,” Walters said.

Colorado and New Mexico both are aggressively inspecting boats before they hit the water this season. It’s to prevent all the trouble the mussels could cause in pipes and infrastructure, even eventually killing native fish.

CPW said money spent inspecting and decontaminating boats is a drop in the bucket compared to fighting mussels after they take hold.

“We couldn’t do this without the participation of the boat owners,” Walters said.
The key is clean, drain and dry. All boat owners are encouraged to do that every time they take the boat out of the water. For boats in infected waters, both states require disinfection services, which is available at many major waterways.

New Mexico has rules in places that:

  • Require all watercraft arriving from out of state must receive an inspection prior to launch.
  • All watercraft when on a New Mexico roadway must have their boat plugs pulled.

    • Inspections stations for 2017 can be found at:

  • Navajo Reservoir (Pine and Sims Ramps)
  • Conchas Reservoir (Main entrance)
  • Ute Lake (North Ramp & Logan Park Marina)
  • Elephant Butte Reservoir (Marina del Sur)
  • Any NMDGF office (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
  • Typical times are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

    • To learn more, see these websites:

    http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/ais
    http://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/BoatInspection.aspx

    #Runoff news: “Go outdoors!” — @VailCOwater

    From The Colorado Springs Gazette (Ellie Mulder):

    [The Arkansas River] was flowing at 3,770 cubic feet per second late Friday afternoon at Parkdale, just west of Royal Gorge, according to the United States Geological Survey. Colorado Parks and Wildlife issues a high water advisory and recommends not rafting when flows reach 3,200 cubic feet per second level in the gorge, known for its whitewater rapids.

    The high river flow wasn’t unexpected and isn’t out of the ordinary, said Bill Banks with USGS.

    “A great deal of water is moving downstream right now because we’ve had a pretty abundant snowfall,” Banks said. “This is just the normal cycle.”

    Colorado has seen a relatively slow, steady snowmelt this year, he said.

    “That’s what we like – a long, controlled runoff,” Banks said. “That’s the best for the environment, best for stakeholders in the region. It’s best all around.”