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Waterways flowing between the <br />infected and uninfected areas of the <br />West should be monitored to deter- <br />mine if, and when zebra mussels are <br />present. Once zebra mussels are <br />detected, barriers or inspection stations <br />could be established and water craft <br />traveling in these routes could be <br />restricted, or checked to prevent <br />upstream movement of the mussel. <br />Decontamination stations could be <br />located at boat access sites to remove or <br />destroy mussels before watercraft are <br />launched into uninfected waters. <br />In addition to natural streams, many <br />agricultural, municipal, and private <br />diversion canals exist in the West. <br />These include thousands of miles canals <br />associated with projects constructed by <br />the Bureau of Reclamation and other <br />water developers. If zebra mussels <br />enter these canals, they could rapidly <br />proliferate throughout areas of suitable <br />habitat in the West. <br />In addition to watercraft, other <br />potential water vectors may include <br />aquatic animals such as crayfish, fish, <br />birds, and climatic factors such as water <br />spouts and tornadoes. Because of <br />topography, stream gradient, and dams <br />~, and diversions, these vectors are not <br />considered of major importance in the <br />i <br />westward expansion of the zebra <br />mussel. <br />