The Colorado River Is Officially Contaminated with Invasive Zebra Mussels: Can the State Stop the Spread?

The Colorado River is officially contaminated with invasive zebra mussels: Can the state stop the spread?

Water managers and state wildlife officials last year hoped the discovery of a microscopic zebra mussel larva in the Colorado River was a one-time event, not a sign of a larger problem lurking beneath the surface.

The Colorado River is officially contaminated with invasive zebra mussels. Can the state stop the spread?

The Colorado River from Glenwood Springs to the Utah border is now considered positive for zebra mussels, an invasive species known to devastate ecosystems and clog critical infrastructure.

Wildlife officials uncover troubling new threat to major US river: 'Where do we go next?'

What began with the discovery of one tiny larval mollusk in June has expanded into widespread testing and a confirmation that invasive zebra mussels are spreading in the Colorado River. What's happening? According to the Post Independent, Colorado Parks and Wildlife found the lone mussel larvae — called a "veliger" — along the river near the town of New Castle in June.  It was the first evidence of the invasive species in the Colorado River syst…