Another western state confirmed its first zebra mussel - an invasive species found recently in waters south of Hollister - present in a reservoir there, the Colorado Division of Wildlife reported.
Doug Krieger, a senior biologist with Colorado Division of Wildlife, said the agency has been searching for the pesky mollusk in the state after they were found in Kansas.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife confirmed two weeks ago the species found in Lake Pueblo - a reservoir about 100 miles south of Denver that feeds the Arkansas River and eventually the Mississippi River - were indeed zebra mussels, Krieger said.
Krieger said the samples found in November at Lake Pueblo were starting to decompose, had some larvae and needed genetic testing to confirm they were zebra mussels.
The presence of larvae was significant, Krieger said.
"That suggests there were some reproduction by the adults there," he said.
California Department of Fish and Game officials confirmed Jan. 14 the presence of zebra mussels in San Justo Reservoir.
The shellfish found in California and Colorado were the first confirmed zebra mussels west of Oklahoma.
The finding southwest of Hollister is worrisome because the basin is connected to California's central waterways and was used for four weeks in November and December to deliver water. The San Benito County Water District is tracking down who received water from San Justo Reservoir during that time.
Zebra mussels can clog water pipes, valves and pumps, and filter out the food base, killing local aquatic life. The mussels were first found in the Great Lakes region in the 1980s, and have since caused billions of dollars in damage to infrastructure and economies there and in the Mississippi drainage.
Jeff McCracken, a public affairs officer for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said Friday that San Justo Reservoir is open to the public, but the boat ramp has been closed.
McCracken said the bureau is working closely with the county and department of fish and game to assess the problem at San Justo Reservoir.
"We're mobilizing a team that's going to do some pretty intensive surveillance and observation of this little thing," McCracken said Friday.
Michael Van Cassell Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335.
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