Over 3,400 boats inspected for quagga mussels during 4th of July weekend

Salt Lake City — While many celebrated the nation's independence over the Fourth of July weekend, law enforcement officers and technicians for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources across the state were busy working to keep something else free — boats free of invasive quagga mussels after leaving Lake Powell.

Statewide, Aquatic Invasive Species technicians with the DWR, Utah State Parks, Arizona Game and Fish Department and the National Park Service inspected 3,434 boats and performed 117 decontaminations from Friday to Monday. During last year's Fourth of July weekend, 5,959 inspections were performed statewide, and 122 boats were decontaminated.

Of those total numbers, 429 of the boat inspections and 73 of the decontaminations took place at stations in the Lake Powell area.

"We want to remind boaters that all watercraft leaving Lake Powell require an exit inspection during the inspection station's hours of operation," DWR Aquatic Invasive Species Lt. Bruce Johnson said. "'Watercraft' includes kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and inflatable rafts. And it's important to remember that inspections are not the same as decontaminations. After a watercraft is inspected, it must still be decontaminated before you can launch that watercraft at a different waterbody. If a decontamination can't be performed, the watercraft must wait the required dry time before launching again."

Statewide, DWR conservation officers issued 55 citations for violations of Utah laws established to prevent the spread of invasive mussels. The majority of the violations were due to people with a watercraft failing to stop at mandatory inspection stations. Another common violation over the weekend was boaters failing to remove the drain plug on their watercraft — a law which went into effect in 2020.

"We have had a shortage of staff this year, and our employees work as quickly as they can, but we ask for everyone's patience and compliance in getting the required inspections," Johnson said. "We are doing more with far less staff at Lake Powell this year. If you need a decontamination, you need to call and schedule one in advance, as our limited staff may not be able to accommodate that. As mentioned, you can also wait the required dry time before you launch at another waterbody. Please always clean, drain and dry, which includes removing drain plugs and sea strainers on your boat."

There are over 40 inspection stations located at various waterbodies and along highways throughout Utah. Visit the Utah Department of Natural Resources website for a list of all the decontamination stations around the state.

Why quagga mussels are bad

• They plug water lines, even lines that are large in diameter.
• If they get into water delivery systems in Utah, it will cost millions of dollars annually to remove them and keep the pipes free, which can result in higher utility bills.
• They remove plankton from the water, which hurts fish species in Utah.
• Mussels get into your boat's engine cooling system. Once they do, they'll foul the system and damage the engine.
• When mussels die in large numbers, they stink and the sharp shells of dead mussels also cut your feet as you walk along the beaches.