The presidential election aside, the largest spike on this summer’s political seismograph registered in June when funding to combat the Zika virus ran aground in Congress. Both sides of the aisle blamed the other, but both agreed: It is folly to delay funding to fight the virus in light of dire warnings from public health officials.
It is ironic, then, to see a frustrating funding situation unfold in Colorado involving other unwanted species, only this time there does not seem to be much of a fuss. Perhaps there should be.
Zebra mussels and their cousin quagga mussels do not pose an immediate health risk on any level that approaches Zika’s threat to developing humans. But infestations of the prolific mollusks can have deadly consequences for rivers and lakes.
Native to eastern Europe, the exotics have spread rapidly due to their ability to hitchhike as larvae on boats and other watercraft in bilges, live wells and anything else that holds water. Adults can also survive long periods out of water.
The filter-feeders eat microscopic plants and animals that form the base of aquatic food webs, devastating native species in waterways they occupy. The mussels settle in mass colonies and quickly grow to block valves and supply pipes, interfering with municipal water, irrigation and power plants. Their impact on communities and industry in the U.S. from 1993 to 1999 alone was estimated at more than $5 billion. So far, Colorado remains largely invasive-mussel free, thanks in large part to an aggressive program of inspection and decontamination at marinas across the state. The presence of the mussels has been detected only at Pueblo Reservoir.
It is alarming to note, however, that funding for this program is not secure. Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s aquatic nuisance species (ANS) program was hit hard by a state Supreme Court decision regarding oil and gas severance taxes, and additional funding has not been easy to come by.
“Basically, $6.4 million has gone away from the funding we used for ANS,” said Joe Lewandowski of the Durango CPW office. “It’s a serious situation. With boats coming into Colorado from Kansas to the east and Lake Powell to the west. Both are known to harbor invasive mussels, so we are kind of in the bull’s-eye.”
McPhee Reservoir provides a vulnerable example. While it is easy to imagine a family powerboat infecting McPhee with mussel larvae brought back from Lake Powell, it is not so easy to imagine the total cost of dealing with a mussel infestation throughout the water project’s extensive delivery system. That bill could make the annual costs of running inspection stations look like a pittance.
At the moment, the situation is serious, but not quite dire. Funding for CPW’s inspection program looks secure through July of 2017, and our state’s elected officials are aware of the problem, Whether they are motivated by it is another question. In an election year, invasive species are not viewed as a “sexy” issue, lamented one congressional staffer aware of the threat.
Coming up with the funds to continue protecting our waterways does not promise much in terms of sex appeal, either, but it is essential. A combination of both state and federal agencies oversee management of Colorado’s rivers, lakes and reservoirs. We need all of them to contribute to a solution.