Zebra Mussels Intercepted

 “They are a major fouling organism. They totally encrust boats, pipes, power generation equipment, so that’s their main economic impact. They also are very sharp-shelled so if they were to foul fish ladders, they would impact fish trying to make their way up the fish ladders. They filter quite a lot of nutrients out of the water so they also have an impact on the food web. They’re about the size of a finger nail.” That’s Amy Ferriter, Idaho Invasive Species Coordinator, talking about quagga and zebra muscles that have invaded the Mid-West, California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. If not for an observant citizen, it would be Idaho too.

 Acting on a report from a keenly observant citizen, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), in conjunction with Washington and Utah state officials, were able to track and detain a mussel-fouled 26-foot cabin watercraft, named “HELLO.”  The vessel originated at Lake Mead, Nevada. A Utah resident spotted the boat traveling north towards the Idaho state line on Interstate 15.

Celia Gould, director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture said  “This citizen report set a series of contacts to authorities and marina operators into motion in the tri-state area, which resulted in the successful interception of the boat in Spokane, Washington”.

 Boaters BEWARE