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January 23, 2007
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3600
Water Temp: 46-49 F

	Fish are waiting for the days to lengthen and the water to warm just a bit. For now the best fishing is under the marinas with night fishing being better than in daylight. We should utilize this break in catching to gear up our defenses to prevent quagga mussels from invading Lake Powell. What the heck is a quagga mussel? Dont confuse that with the Asian clam that is already present in Lake Powell
Asian Clam	An aquatic nuisance species (ANS) task force determined in 1999 that zebra mussels would eventually cross the continental divide and infest western waters. It was determined that Lake Powell would be the likely point of introduction because of the many visiting boats that use this great resource. Since 1999 an active program has been in place to prevent zebra mussel invasion. Any boat entering Glen Canyon NRA from east of the Continental Divide has been questioned at the entry stations to find out if mussels could be hitchhiking on entering boats. Any boat with questionable credentials was given the option of a free hot water wash to kill any lingering mussels. The program seems to have worked. Mussels have not yet been found in Lake Powell. Mussels did finally arrive and during January 2007 have now been detected in Lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu. The invading mussel is a close cousin to the zebra. Its called a quagga mussel. Quaggas have been characterized as a "zebra mussel on steroids". They prefer deeper, cooler water and can attach to soft and hard substrate. They can live more places than zebra mussels. The problem with mussels is that they are so prolific that they cover the lake bottom and hard underwater structures with live shellfish. They can even attach to slow moving animals like crayfish. Nothing is safe. They have been known to form a shell reef over a foot thick and actually deposit enough shells to close off water pipes less than 12 inches in diameter.
Mussel encrusted shopping cart	The millions of shell fish eat by siphoning water through the shell. Lake productivity is soon impacted as the plankton is siphoned off by shell fish before other fish can eat it. Fish populations are restructured. If mussels enter Lake Powell, smallmouth and striped bass fisheries would decline dramatically. Mussels discard waste in such volume that the bottom becomes fouled and water chemistry changes. Lake Powell is threatened by all of these drastic end results. The mussel threat to Lake Powell has now increased beyond description. While mussels cannot climb over Glen Canyon Dam to enter the lake the chance of boaters bringing larval mussels from the lower basin to Powell is "almost" a certainty. The only chance for Lake Powell to avoid this fate is if all visitors are made aware of the problem and take steps to prevent invaders from making it to Lake Powell. Please do everything in your power to prevent mussels from altering the beauty and bounty that is now enjoyed.
Mussel encrusted outdrive.	What You Can Do: o Drain the water from your motor, live well, and bilge on land before leaving the immediate area of the mussel infested lake. o Flush the motor and bilges with hot, soapy water or a 5% solution of household bleach. o Completely inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see. o Wash the hull, equipment, bilge and any other exposed surface with hot, soapy water or use a 5% solution of household bleach. o Clean and wash your trailer, truck or any other equipment that comes in contact with lake water. Mussels can live in small pockets anywhere water collects. o Air-dry the boat and other equipment for at least five days before launching in any other waterway. Additional information can be found at www.protectyourwaters.net www.100thMeridian.org.