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<br />Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form <br />Fonn Revised May 2007 <br /> <br />disruption of the ecological balance a lake or other waterway. Zebra mussels do not pose a known threat to <br />human health. Biologists are concerned that zebra mussels may cause ecological shifts in the lakes they invade, <br />with consequences to valued wildlife resources. Significant impacts to fish populations and alterations of algal <br />populations have been documented in other states. <br /> <br />Because these invasive mussels attach to hard surfaces like concrete and pipes, they can significantly <br />affect canals, aqueducts, water intakes and dams, resulting in increased maintenance costs for those <br />facilities. These mussels can settle in massive colonies that can block water intake and affect municipal water <br />supply and agricultural irrigation and power plant operation. In the United States, Congressional researchers <br />estimated that zebra mussels alone cost the power industry $3.1 billion in the 1993-1999 period, with their impact <br />on industries, businesses, and communities more than $5 billion. <br /> <br />Based on this information from other states, the Department of Natural Resources has the goal of minimizing spread <br />of zebra mussels at Lake Pueblo. A team of state and federal biologists and experts has been working together with <br />experts from other states. They are writing a formal Rapid Response Plan, however time is of the essence with this <br />issue. The immediate strategy recommended by the group is the rapid response form State Parks that is detailed below. <br />This project is a very large one and the funding being sought here is the most critical and immediate set of needs to <br />minimize the risk of spread of Zebra mussels at Lake Pueblo. <br /> <br />17 <br />