Logan • The Division of Wildlife Resource says it discovered three boats in northern Utah that were infested with quagga mussels.

The division’s Lieutenant Scott Dalebout says the recent discoveries illustrate the importance of cleaning, draining and drying boats after every boating trip.

The Herald Journal reports technicians inspecting boats at Hyrum State Park near Logan found mussels on a common Bayliner boat. They were able to decontaminate the boat and released it.

The other two incidents involved boats at Willard Bay State Park on June 4 and 11. In those cases, the boats were decontaminated and placed on quarantine at the owners’ residences.

The boats were part of the division’s efforts to find quagga mussels before they infect Utah water bodies like Lake Powell, where Dalebout says the mussels are spreading.