The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources spent the Fourth of July weekend battling invaders — and trying to keep quagga mussels from spreading.
According to the DWR, 210 boats were decontaminated after being pulled out of Lake Powell, and invasive quagga mussels were discovered on three out of four of them, 157 boats in all. Seventeen boaters were cited for either not stopping to have their boats inspected or for transporting their boats with the bilge plug still in.
Boaters are required to have their boats decontaminated after they’ve been in Lake Powell. The bilge plug must be removed and the water drained to prevent the mussels from spreading to the next body of water the boats enter.