Tuesday July 23, 2024
Newsweek —
Ahighly invasive species has been found colonizing the Colorado River, which could be catastrophic for native ecosystems.
The larvae of these invasive zebra mussels—known as zebra mussel veligers—were detected in river water, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said in a statement.
This is concerning for conservationists, as the presence of zebra mussels in the Colorado River could have significant impacts on native fish populations, especially in areas of slower water movement.
“This challenging discovery has ecological and economic impacts not only on the Grand Valley but potential statewide impacts as well. CPW is committed to working with all of our partners as we work to better understand the extent of this discovery and the next steps in protecting the natural resources and infrastructure,” CPW Director Jeff Davis said in the statement.
Zebra mussels are small freshwater mussels native to the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine. They arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1980s via international ships.