Invasion Below The Surface

Zebra mussels, sound harmless, right? Don’t let the name fool you. These pesky creatures have been infesting Colorado waters for 3 years, with the first sighting being in Highline Lake. Measures were taken to prevent the spread, but weren’t very successful. 3 years later, in September 2025, adult zebra mussels were spotted in the section between the 32 Road bridge and the Colorado-Utah border, confirming that section of the colorado river as “Infested.” According to CBS News. Avid Nature enthusiast, Zane Frank shared the ecological, economical, and health impacts zebra mussels have. “ Zebra Muscles are detrimental to native species, they eat plankton and algae that are essential for the survival of other fish species” The detection of these mussels in the colorado river is not very good news. The new question is how did they end up there? Frank explained that “Zebra mussels spread through human activity, specifically through boats and trailers transporting them to infested waters to uninfested waters. They can survive out of water for long periods of time.” Infected lakes make sure to enforce mandatory boat inspections. During these inspections, staff use high pressured water at 140 degree farenheight to flush out Zebra muscles killing them on contact. Due to the invasiveness of these species, these measures weren’t enough. Some lakes get drained by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to fully eliminate these mussels, exposing them to freezing and dry conditions. Frank approves of these procedures. Although boat inspections are lengthy, he believes “They are very worth it in order to prevent the spread of these invasive species to other bodies of water.”