MEDIA ADVISORY
Signs to remind boaters of mussel threat
SRP, USFS, Bureau of Reclamation partner to keep quaggas from reservoirs
Stepping up the "Don't Move a Mussel" campaign to limit the spread of invasive quagga mussels in Arizona's waterways, Salt River Project is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Reclamation to place large signs at the chain of lakes on the Salt and Verde rivers to remind boaters to keep their mussel-infested vessels away.
More than 60 signs – 18 inches wide by 26 inches long – are being installed at marinas and boat launch ramps at Roosevelt, Apache, Canyon and Saguaro lakes on the Salt River and at Bartlett and Horseshoe lakes on the Verde River. Paper versions of the signs have also been made available to marinas as well as other recreational locations across the Valley and state.
The signs, designed and printed by SRP, include a photo of adult mussels on a boat's propeller at Lake Mead on the Colorado River. SRP delivered the signs to the Forest Service, which will hang them in coordination with the Tonto Basin Ranger District, the Mesa Ranger District and the Cave Creek Ranger District of the Tonto National Forest. The Bureau of Reclamation contributed by purchasing heavy-duty stakes and the mounting hardware to help hang the signs.
"We have yet to find any sign of quagga mussels in the six reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers," said Paul Cherrington, manager of Water Engineering & Transmission, "but we are still very concerned about adult quaggas that have moved down the lower Colorado River and into Lake Pleasant that could then be transported from Lake Pleasant to the SRP chain of lakes."
Adult quaggas were discovered last fall at the head of the SRP water-delivery system at the interconnect channel that delivers Central Arizona Project water to the SRP canals. Those mussels found at the CAP/SRP Interconnect moved down from Lake Pleasant, which, along with the Colorado River, is a water source for the CAP canal. Some of the water SRP delivers to Valley municipalities and shareholders originates at Lake Havasu on the Colorado River and from Lake Pleasant, which is delivered into SRP's canal system at the SRP/CAP Interconnect east of Mesa.
SRP officials continue to urge Valley residents who plan to take their boats out to the reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers or to Lake Powell to support the statewide "Don't Move a Mussel" campaign by taking special precautions that will help keep the mussels from spreading.
SRP and state and federal resource agencies are asking all boaters and anglers throughout the state to help fight the continuing spread of the quagga mussels and other invaders by routinely taking the following precautionary steps each time they visit a waterway anywhere in the state:
- Drain the water from the boat, livewell and the lower unit.
- Clean the hull of the boat and trailer; remove all plant and animal material.
- Dry the boat, fishing gear, equipment and trailer between launches.
Day boat users are urged to wait five days before launching their boats at another location. This is especially critical for boaters using Lake Pleasant or any waters along the lower Colorado River and who are also planning to enjoy the Salt or Verde reservoirs or Lake Powell. This five-day waiting period will aid in killing hidden aquatic hitchhikers such as the microscopic quagga larvae. Also, Arizona Game & Fish suggests washing the hull of boats with high-pressure water, either at the lake -- if washers are available -- or after leaving the waterway.
Because mussels attach to hard surfaces such as concrete and pipes, they can affect SRP canals, aqueducts, water intakes, dams and power plants that rely on water for cooling, resulting in significantly increased maintenance costs for those facilities. The mussel can also cause damage to watercraft and affect lake ecosystems and fisheries.
You can find out how to help prevent the spread of this aquatic invader online at www.ProtectYourWaters.net or www.100thmeridian.org. For information on how to request additional "Don't Move a Mussel" signs, call (602) 236-2893.
SRP is the largest provider of water and power to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
