Here's the plan to eliminate invasive species that's 'infesting' Colorado lake

Tamera Twitty, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
·2 min read

Jan. 10—Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has begun zebra mussel mitigation procedures after the incredibly invasive species was discovered in Highline Lake last September. This instance marked the first time that adult zebra mussel has ever been found in Colorado waters.

Though small, zebra mussels are far from harmless. They can spread to new water quickly and can cause hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage. According to CPW, Highline Lake's status has been upgraded from "suspect" to "infested."

"The next phase to remove zebra mussels from Highline Lake will be two-fold," said State Park Manager Alan Martinez in a news release.

"Our goal is to eliminate the mussels while protecting a quality warm water fishery that has taken decades to build."

According to CPW, Highline Lake will be lowered approximately 30 feet over the next few months. This process will hopefully expose mussels that are near the shoreline. These mussels will eventually die from desiccation and freezing, CPW said.

A treatment of copper-based molluscicide, called EarthTec QZ, will then be applied to the east side of the lake beginning in March. Another treatment will be applied to the west side of the lake at a later date.

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"This two-step application approach will allow fish and other aquatic species the ability to move to areas of the lake where concentrations of the chemical are initially lower. Water from the canal will be turned back on in April, with Highline Lake returning to normal levels around the first week of May," the release said.

Officials will then continue monitoring the lake weekly to determine if the process was successful. Still, Highline Lake will keep its "infested" status for five years, even if there is no evidence of zebra mussels found.

"Attempting this eradication now while population densities remain low is not only our best opportunity for successful eradication in Highline Lake, but also our best chance to prevent the spread of this highly detrimental invasive species to other waters in the state," said CPW Invasive Species Program Manager Robert Walters in the release.

Highline Lake is located at Highline Lake State Park in Loma, Colorado. According to CPW, the lake is a popular destination for anglers, swimmers, and boaters. As the boating season approaches, all boats will be subject to inspection and decontamination protocols upon entering and exiting the lake this year, according to CPW.

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