Arkansas - Colorado State Parks Zebra Mussel Response_Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 5. Please provide an overview of the water project or activity to be funded including - type of activity, statement of what the activity is intended to accomplish, the need for the activity, the problems and opportunities to be addressed, expectations of the participants, why the activity is important, a) The service area or geographic location, and any relevant issues etc. b) Socio economic characteristics of the area c) Please include any relevant TABOR issues that may affect the Contracting Entity. Please refer to Part 2 of Criteria and Guidance document for additional detail on information to include. The goal of this proj ect is to minimize the spread of zebra mussels. Zebra mussels were confirmed by the Division of Wildlife to be present and reproducing in Lake Pueblo this January. These invasive mussels have caused dramatic ecological changes and economic impacts in other states and other countries. These species are native to the Black and Caspian seas. They were discovered in the Great Lakes in 1988 and have since spread to 26 states in the United States. They are small bi-valve (two shelled) mollusks like a clam, but with the unique ability to attach well to hard substances under the water including pipes and conduits. They reproduce sexually and release microscopic larvae by the millions. They are known to have major ecological impacts, primarily on fisheries. Because they are highly efficient filter feeders, they can within a few years of invasion decrease the nutrients available to fish dramatically and thereby reduce those fish stocks significantly. In the Great Lakes reductions in species such as walleye, lake trout and whitefish where dramatic in the 1990's. The zebra mussels also alter growth of submerged aquatic vegetation and algae because of their filtration of the nutrients and increase of water clarity. In many water bodies the results of this has been increase major algal blooms and dieoffs. The zebra mussels can also harbor bacteria which can produce noxious smells and impacts to the taste of drinking water. The major economic impacts of these species that have been experiences have primarily been to the power industry as they mussels have clogged major water intakes and to water treatment facilities as their facilities have been clogged. Major impacts to dam gates, pumps and turbines have been documented in other states. Prevention and maintenance costs tally in the billions in the Great Lakes for this species. In California the combined response to the appearance of zebra and quagga mussels in January 2007 has totaled many millions (California state officials have not tallied the total response by all entities, but our estimates are between $20-100 million based on incomplete estimates) from the state agencies, water districts, federal agencies, agricultural entities and other local entities, but that does not include losses to revenue, only expenditures. The Zebra and Quagga mussel species are very difficult to eradicate. The only known case of eradication of Zebra mussels is from an isolated 12 acre quarry in Virginia where very large volumes of chemical treatments were used. So around the country the focus has been strongly placed on containment in infested water bodies and prevention in water bodies not yet affected. Major public education and inspection/decontamination programs focused on minimizing the spread via recreational boating have been created in virtually all the states with new infestations of these mussels. This is the cornerstone of the State Parks program for Zebra mussels at Lake Pueblo. 9