Arizona officials are remaining vigilant as the invasive quagga mussels has been discovered in three lakes in Tonto National Forest.
The mussel species has affected eight of the state’s 12 major lakes and reservoirs. New evidence shows quagga mussels have recently been discovered at Canyon, Saguaro and Apache lakes in the Tonto National Forest.
Tom McMahon with Arizona Game and Fish said the mussels can’t be eradicated from the lakes. However, he said by draining your boat you can keep them out of unaffected waters.
“Pull the plug. That’s the best advice we can give to people. And that will help them to not only to not move those things, but also for their own boat. We don’t want those little mussels floating out there. And when they get attached to your boat, that’s when they become adults, and that’s what can mess up your boat,” he said.
By law, boaters and anglers must pull their drainage plugs before transporting a watercraft from all affecting lakes and reservoirs.
McMahon said while they want to enforce the law, their main goal is not the reprimand rule breakers, but to educate them.
“Yes, it’s against the law to transport them, and it’s against the law to have a boat that’s been in the water a long time and not decontaminate it," sad McMahon. "But, right now, our emphasis isn’t chasing people down to give them a ticket. Our emphasis right now is to try and inform people.”
Quagga mussels are known to colonize rapidly and can ruin boat motors, alter water quality, impact pumping capabilities for power and water treatment plants.
