1600 West 12th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80204
Phone: 303-628-6000
Fax: 303-628-6349
http://www.denverwater.org

Zebra mussel update

July 23, 2008: Following the temporary closure of Antero to boating, Denver Water has been working with State Parks and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to address the issue at other Denver Water-owned reservoirs. This is an ongoing process that will continue to change, but here is the latest update:

  • Antero: Beginning Thursday, July 10, 2008, Antero Reservoir will be open to all boats. Boat access will be through the north boat ramp only. The Division of Wildlife will be performing boat inspections beginning at 6:00 a.m. Boats should be cleaned, drained and dry before they reach the inspection station.

  • Dillon: Open to boating, but only through the boat launching areas at the Dillon and Frisco marinas. The launch ramp at the Dillon Marina will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. The launch ramp at the Frisco Bay Marina will be open from 9 a.m. to dusk daily, weather permitting.

  • Eleven Mile: Open to boating. All trailered boats will be inspected for zebra mussels and other aquatic nuisance species before they are allowed to go out on the water. Boating will be allowed each day from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The Witcher’s Cove Boat Ramp will remain closed, but park officials hope to have it open in the near future.

  • Williams Fork: Open to boating Thursday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the east boat ramp only.  If additional boat inspectors are hired, the east boat ramp will be open seven days a week.

  • Gross: Only car-top, non-motorized, non-trailered boats and non-sailboats are permitted, as has been the case for the past five years. Inspection will be handled internally with Recreation Site Coordinator and Rangers.

Denver Water takes the threat of this aggressive non-native species very seriously. Zebra mussels pose a high threat of spreading to other reservoirs and waterways throughout the state. The primary threat in Colorado is zebra mussel movement through recreational boating, as the mussels can easily “hitchhike” by attaching themselves to boat hulls, trailers and aquatic plants and animals. Therefore, boat inspections are needed to maintain the integrity of the state’s boating and fishing communities, as well as water quality.

Denver Water is sensitive to the economic impacts associated with closing its reservoirs and is working closely with State Parks, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and other entities to put systems in place to conduct inspections on all boats before they are cleared to enter a reservoir and provide mobile decontamination units to clean boats that are found to be infected. The agencies are working together to determine the next steps for other Denver Water-owned reservoirs where boating takes place, prior to the regular opening dates for boating.

Zebra mussels can clog pipes, valves, gates and any water-related equipment or surface. They can ruin boats by jamming equipment and causing motor damage, and they destroy fisheries by consuming nutrients and wrecking the food chain.

You can learn more about zebra mussels at:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON:

July 23, 2008

Stacy Chesney
(303) 628-6584 (office)
(720) 232-7214 (cell)
stacy.chesney@denverwater.org

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