What Idaho is doing to fight the invasive mussel

CANYON COUNTY -- Idaho is preparing to stop an invasion.

The potential invader is a small creature with a funny name, but it could cause major problems on the state's rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

A brand new law puts some muscle behind the fight against some nasty mussels. 

The Snake River flows through scenic areas of southwest Idaho. Its waters, so far, are free of a tiny creature with a ravenous appetite and an amazing ability to multiply -- the quagga mussel.

"It's a really frightening situation just because of their sheer ability to take over their environment," said Idaho Power aquatic biologist Mike Stephenson. 

Biologists say just two thumbnail sized adult quagga mussels could produce millions of microscopic babies that attach to things and start growing.    

"They could take over the docks, the rocks, the boat ramp.  Everything is fair game for them," said Stephenson.

Mussel invasions now plague some lakes in Nevada, Colorado, California and Arizona; and Idaho leaders want to keep them out of the Gem State. 

Stopping a potential invasion would protect our fish, and therefore fishing.  

"They can pretty much remove the nutrients that are needed for a lot of the fish species," said Fred Partridge with Idaho Fish and Game.

And protect our hydroelectric dams and people who rely on irrigation.

"They clog cooling pipes, they can clog up intakes and trash racks on power plants and they can also clog up turbines," said Stephenson. 

They also stick to boats.  That's how they move from lake to lake.

In response to the threat of quaggas and other invasive species, Idaho lawmakers passed the Invasive Species Act of 2008.  It went into effect July first.

It gives state agencies the authority to do things like set up boat check and decontamination stations, and sets fines for violators. 

"It allows us to develop rules to control movement of boats into the state," said Partridge.

The act also supports partnerships with agencies like Canyon County Noxious Weed Control whose workers can keep an eye out for the mussels.

"We have aquatic noxious weeds and we always are snooping around where maybe no one else is looking," said Jim Martell with the Canyon County Noxious Weed Control.

Workers have also been out looking for quaggas in lakes and reservoirs across the state -- with quagga traps.  

This device doesn't look like much.  It's just a plastic fence mesh on a rope attached to a small section of PVC pipe and a couple of washers, but it's actually a key tool in the effort to find quagga mussels if they show up in Idaho's waterways.

"And when they're ready to start becoming an adult they attach and they just start growing here," said Partridge.

The traps are checked after three months under water.  So far, the news is good. 

"None have yet been seen in the wild in Idaho," said Partridge.

And they hope it stays that way. 

Even before the Invasive Species Act went into effect, the state started a massive educational effort. 

It sent out 90,000 post cards to Idaho’s registered boat owners explaining how to properly clean their boats and keep them quagga free.