Arkansas - Colorado State Parks Zebra Mussel Response_Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 State Parks plan at Lake Pueblo includes altering boating policies to provide additional control on the locations for boat launching and creating a timestamp procedure for boats so that boats on the water longer that would be considered higher risk for mussel attachment would be inspected by staff. All vessels owners will be educated on the issue and told to drain all bilge and live bait well water before leaving the reservoir to prevent the spread of larvae. Any boats identified as having mussels or any other increased risk factors such as aquatic plants on them, would then be moved to a decontamination area where the boat would be washed with a hot temperature recycling wash. We will also be conducting intensive sampling as well as modeling of population growth at the reservoir to predict concerns of mussel spread and growth so that we can adapt our management to the changes in population size. Another aspect of this project is to sample for zebra mussels at all the State Parks with boating, and provide public education materials to effect an overall change to boater behavior in the state. We will be providing specific literature and encouraging boaters to drain all water from their boats between reservoirs and inspect and clean their boats voluntarily. In other states such as Minnesota they have shown documented results in slowing the spread of these mussels and other aquatic invasive species from this type of public education and sampling regime. This project will require additional staffing, primarily temporary employees who would work in shifts to cover nine months of the year at Lake Pueblo. Approximately 18 additional employees are needed and will need to be supported by operating costs and capital equipment for the time period from April 1 to June 30, 2008. The equipment costs will include primarily the cost of portable boat washing stations, but also lights and signs for inspections, educational brochures and radios for communication among the staff. The majority of funding for this overall project will come from other sources. We are asking for the highest priority and most immediate costs through this Statewide fund and are seeking about four times this amount from other sources primarily for the staffing required for the following fiscal year. This grant would allow us to have a response in place immediately before the temperature of the lake reaches the point where larvae are being released (when the water temperature reaches 52 degrees F). 10