Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HEBER CITY — Juvenile quagga mussels were discovered in Deer Creek Reservoir in January and Division of Wildlife Resources biologists are working to eliminate the invasive species before the population can spread.
DNA tests conducted by two laboratories found five microscopic juvenile quagga mussels — called veligers — in a water sample taken near the dam in Deer Creek Reservoir, DWR officials said. Because adult quagga mussels can’t reproduce in water that’s colder than 50 degrees, biologists said there wasn’t much risk of the quagga mussels spreading during the winter.
However, with the weather warming up for summer, biologists are now taking preventative action.
“Even though it’s still too cold for adult quaggas to reproduce, the water temperature is climbing,” DWR aquatic invasive species coordinator Jordan Nielson said in a news release. “Now’s the perfect time to start our spring sampling work.”
DWR biologists began collecting water samples on April 13 and will continue to collect samples each month until October or November. Collecting water samples is a good way to detect mussels, including juveniles that are too small to see with the naked eye, DWR said. Each water sample will be observed under a microscope and tested.
DWR aquatic invasive species biologists are partnering with the Bureau of Reclamation and Utah State Parks officials to dive into the reservoir in early May to search the dam and other underwater structures for adult mussels.
They will also place substrate sampler devices, ropes or lines that attach to buoys and extend through the water column, to test for mussels. Adult mussels drift through the water column and often attach themselves to samplers that they come in contact with, DWR said.
Utah State Parks personnel will continue to regularly look for mussels on boat docks and other park equipment that is underwater. In March, Utah State Park officials closed the Charleston Bay boat ramp at Deer Creek State Park and implemented mandatory boat inspections for boats leaving the reservoir.
DWR officials also began requiring anyone in Southern Utah who is transporting a boat north on I-15 to exit the freeway for a boat inspection.
Invasive quagga mussels deplete nutrients in the water, jeopardize power and water infrastructures and damage ecosystems and recreation. They clog pipes that deliver water and removal can cost millions of dollars, DWR said. They also clog the cooling system in boats, leading to overheating and costly repairs.
