Arkansas - Colorado State Parks Zebra Mussel Response_Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 Attachment 1: Scope of Work PROJECT NAME: Colorado State Parks Zebra Mussel Response GRANT APPLICANT: Colorado State Parks FUNDING SOURCE: Statewide Account $1,000,000.00 BACKGROUND: Recent sampling efforts between the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) and Colorado State Parks personnel detected the presence zebra mussels at Lake Pueblo State Park. Two adult mussels and one immature specimen were found on substrate sampling gear, and the larva (velliger) was found by performing plankton tows. The samples were sent to a diagnostic laboratory to determine their identity and it was confirmed by DNA analysis on January 14,2007. CDOW and Parks personnel have been conducting field sampling efforts for several years to evaluate waters across Colorado for the presence of aquatic invasive species. These efforts are targeted toward locating and monitoring potential introductions of invasive species that can be environmentally and economically detrimental to the state, its wildlife and recreation resources. The Bureau of Reclamation has assisted with a remotely operated camera and dive teams to survey the extent of zebra mussels in the Lake and they have not documented any new adult colonies of zebra mussels in the lake. This confirms that the infestation of this lake has been caught very early. Additional sampling at Lake Pueblo State Park to determine the degree of infestation and exact mussel species is planned for this spring. State Parks and CDOW have been conducting a concerted effort to notify water users and recreational users at Pueblo Reservoir, and other state parks, about the potential impacts of zebra mussels. All recreational water users are being advised to follow best management practices from other states. These simple precautionary steps can be applied every time they pull out from a lake, river or stream and plan to go to a new area. The zebra mussel gets its name from the black- (or dark brown) and white-striped markings that appear on its shell. Zebra mussels are native to the Caspian, Black, and Azov seas of Eastern Europe. Quagga mussels, a close relative of zebra mussels that inhabit deeper water have not been detected at Pueblo Reservoir at this time. Quagga mussels are native to the Dneiper River drainage of the Ukraine. Quagga mussels are small, freshwater bi-valve mollusks (relatives to clams and oysters) that are triangular in shape with an obvious ridge between the side and bottom and can have ecological and economic impacts similar to zebra mussels. These exotic mussels were first discovered in the United States in Lake Saint Clair, Michigan, in 1988 and are believed to have been introduced in 1986 through ballast water discharge from ocean-going ships. Since their initial discovery, zebra mussels have spread rapidly throughout the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basin states and other watersheds throughout the eastern and central United States. Quagga mussels have not spread as extensively. The primary method of overland dispersal of these mussels is through human-related activities. Given their ability to attach to hard surfaces and survive out of water, many infestations have occurred by adult mussels hitching rides on watercraft. The microscopic larvae also can be transported in bilges, ballast water, live wells, or any other equipment that holds water. They are primarily algae feeders. They feed by filtering up to a liter of water per day through a siphon. These mussels consume large portions of the microscopic plants and animals that form the base of the food web. The removal of significant amounts of phytoplankton from the water can cause a shift in native species and a 16