Inspectors at Grand Teton National Park are fighting to prevent an invasion of small mussels that hide out on boats and can wreak havoc in local waterways.
A boat entering the park in Wyoming was recently ordered into quarantine for 30 days after an Aquatic Invasive Species, or AIS, technician discovered it was infested with an accumulation of quagga mussels.
“Finding mussels at a Grand Teton AIS check station is uncommon but it’s a good reminder that the risk of an introduction is real,” Chad Whaley, Fisheries Biologist and AIS Coordinator, said in a news release. “We cannot become complacent. The risk level is not going down.”
The freshwater mollusks, in this case smaller than the width of a pencil, are similar to invasive zebra mussels but more aggressive and can spread to different types of habitats, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Both types of mussels can clog intake systems for power plants and wastewater treatment facilities and can set off a domino effect of negative impacts to areas they invade, the U.S. Geological Survey says. For example, the mussels consume masses of phytoplankton and zooplankton, which alters the food web and can allow more light to penetrate water. That in turn paves the way for more vegetation to grow, which can lead to lower oxygen levels in water and the potential for fish kills. Their waste can also lower oxygen, make waters more acidic and create toxic byproducts.
Wyoming is one of only five states where no body of water has tested positive for or been infested by quagga or zebra mussels, according to the National Park Service. The boat at Grand Teton came from Utah and the mussels were discovered during a routine, mandatory inspection at one of the park's check stations.
The Park Service noted that while the mussels were dead, their presence is "a serious concern."
The boat was decontaminated and sealed, then put into a mandatory 30-day dry period. Park officials lauded both the technician who found the mussels and the cooperative boater.
AIS check stations first opened in Grand Teton National Park in 2015. Boaters are required to stop if they pass an open watercraft inspection station, no matter what their inspection history or destination is. Out-of-state boats are required to get an inspection before launching in any Wyoming waters.
Visit the park website for more information on boating regulations, safety and how to help prevent the spread of invasive species.
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