This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 11:31 AM- PAGE, Ariz. - Boats found to be carrying live adult quagga or zebra mussels into the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area will be quarantined until a biologist can inspect them.
The mussels pose a threat to water systems across the West. Quagga mussels have been found in lakes Mead, Havasu and Mojave on the Colorado River and in two major aqueducts that supply water to Southern California and Arizona.
The thumb-sized mussels can clog pipes and gum up waterworks.
So far, Lake Powell and the upper Colorado River are believed to be free of the mollusks.
Since 2007, boaters have been required to sterilize their craft or certify they are mussel-free before entering Lake Powell. Violators face a $5,000 fine.
