Mountain Manners: Enjoy Blue Mesa without the Mussels

Learn how to enjoy Blue Mesa without compromising the environment:

Blue Mesa Reservoir offers incredible summer recreation, but invasive zebra and quagga mussels pose a serious threat to its ecosystem. This post explains why boat inspections are required and how boaters can help protect Colorado’s largest lake by following simple prevention steps.

• Colorado law requires boat inspections to prevent the spread of invasive mussels, especially from heavily affected states and waters like Lake Powell.
• Zebra and quagga mussels damage native habitats and can survive out of water for up to 30 days by clinging to boats.
• Boaters should follow “clean, drain, dry” and cooperate with inspections at Blue Mesa’s four launch sites.

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The Mesa playground

Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado’s largest body of water. From fishing to water skiing, the Reservoir offers every form of lake recreation. Locals call it “the Mesa.” In this edition of Mountain Manners, we ask all boaters to be on the lookout for invasive species of mussels and to cooperate with mussel inspectors when taking your boat in or out of Blue Mesa.

The Law

In 2008, eight bodies of water in Colorado tested positive for mussel larvae. In the following year, the State of Colorado passed the Aquatic Nuisance Species Act, which provides funding for boat inspection programs. State law requires all boats entering Colorado from out of state to be inspected before launching in Colorado water.

Menacing mussels

Zebra and quagga mussels were first identified in the 1980s throughout the Great Lakes region. Since then, they have spread to 33 states, including many near Colorado. Arizona, California, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah all have severe mussel infestations.

Lake Powell is a particular concern because Colorado boaters often trailer their boats there for vacation. Mussels have been spreading rapidly throughout Lake Powell since 2014. Invasive mussels quickly take over the food supply and habitat of native species, causing all sorts of problems.

Inspect and Disinfect

Adult mussels attach themselves to shady places such as boat hulls and can live for 30 days after leaving the water. Inspections are thorough and at times tedious. If mussels are found on a boat, the area will be disinfected with high-pressure hot water ranging from 120 to 140 degrees. Inspectors ask that all boaters live by the mantra “clean, drain, dry”  to keep their boats and Colorado’s pristine waters free of invasive mussels.

For more information on invasive mussels and the hazards they pose, visit the Curecanti Recreation Area’s site.

If you are planning to visit the Blue Mesa Reservoir this summer, plan to have your boat inspected. During the summer, inspections take place from 5:30 am to 9:00 pm at four different boat launches: Elk Creek, Lake Fork, Iola, and Stevens Creek.