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III. CONTAINMENT <br />One of the first priorities is to prevent the spread of zebra mussels from Pueblo Reservoir <br />to other waters in Colorado. State Parks has the lead and is currently planning necessary <br />containment measures including boat inspections and decontamination (when necessary), <br />increased ranger patrol staff, boat launching restrictions, marina involvement, and <br />increased public education. Though dovmstream movement of veligers (larval zebra <br />mussels) is largely beyond control, minimizing the risk of zebra mussels spreading via <br />watercraft to other waters is of critical importance. The State Parks Board adopted <br />emergency re~ulations in February to allow their law enforcement personnel to conduct <br />watercraft inspections for aquatic invasive species at a11 State Park waters in Colorado. <br />The Colorado Wildlife Commission adopted similar emergency regulations for waters <br />under CDOW management on March 13, 2008. <br />IV. MONITORING <br />The CDOW, in cooperation with State Parks, has been sampling lakes and streams for <br />aquatic invasive species across Colorado since 2004. The detection of zebra mussels in <br />Pueblo Reservoir was the result of such routine sampling. The CDOW is developing a <br />risk assessment approach to prioritize increased ei~orts to monitor Colorado water bodies. <br />Cooperation and coordination with other state, federal, recreational and water owner <br />stakeholders will also be sought to further expand sampling efforts. A protocol for <br />responding to any future zebra mussel sightings/reports is being developed. <br />Increase Samplin~/Analysis Work <br />The CDOW's Aquatic Research unit will design a statistically-based sampling protocol <br />to efficiently increase the probability of detection. Waters will be selected and prioritized <br />based in part on a statewide recreational watercraf~ risk assessment for lakes and <br />reservoirs. Risk will be evaluated based on factors such as the type and volume of <br />boatin~ recreation, the origin of boats arriving from other water bodies, presence of <br />marinas, length of time individual boats spend on the water, and estimated out-of-state <br />recreational watercraft users. Boats and other vessels that put in and take out the same <br />day are considered low risk and handled primarily through education. In addition, the <br />CDOW will increase sampling in flowing waters (e.g., the Arkansas River downstream <br />from Pueblo Reservoir). <br />If zebra/quagga mussels are detected through the increased sampling efforts, a rapid <br />determination of the extent of the infestation will be necessary. Depending on the <br />location, the water management agency may provide this service (e.g., detection occurs at <br />another Bureau of Reclamation water). However, if these mussels are detected at water <br />under CDOW or other agency control, funds will be required to hire local divers to <br />investigate. A number of dive clubs and teams in Colorado have the capability to do <br />underwater mapping with GIS systems. Search and Rescue dive teams could be trained <br />and asked to assist (which would also provide them an opportunity for additional training <br />and practice). <br />2 <br />