CO State Parks To Close Most Reservoirs To Boating In Winter Because Of Invasive Mussels

[hatrack]

ENVER - Colorado State Parks will close most of the state's 29 park reservoirs to boating this winter in an effort to prevent the spread of zebra and quagga mussels and other aquatic nuisance species.

"During the cold winter months, boating declines," said Gene Seagle, coordinator for the invasive species program for Colorado State Parks. "The boating ramps at most state parks are closed off to prevent access by motorized and trailered watercraft. Boaters should check with the state park that's their destination before heading out because the ramp may be closed. Some parks may still also offer hand launch of canoes or kayaks."

Parks that have already closed ramps include: Barr Lake, Bonny Lake, Crawford, Elkhead Reservoir, Harvey Gap, Highline Lake, Lathrop, Mancos, John Martin Reservoir, North Sterling, Paonia, Pearl Lake, Ridgway, Rifle Gap, San Luis, Stagecoach, Sweitzer and Vega. Steamboat Lake State Park closed its ramps Friday.

State parks with ramps closing Dec. 1 include Boyd Lake, Chatfield, Cherry Creek, Eleven Mile, Jackson Lake, Navajo, Spinney Mountain and Trinidad Lake. However, those ramps could close earlier if the lakes freeze.

EDIT

http://www.ncbr.com/article.asp?id=102913

[Lefty48197]

1. I don't understand how this will help prevent the spread of zebra mussels

After all, wouldn't closing the boat ramps in the SUMMER have a much greater effect than closing them in the winter when nobody uses them anyways?

Don't get me wrong please. I'm all for stopping the spread of invasive species. I've watched quarantines fail to stop the zebra mussel from getting into the great lakes and our inland waters. I've watched quarantines fail to stop the emerald ash borer from spreading it's ash tree killing spawn from county to county and state to state. I've watched the asian carp take over the Mississippi River and come knocking on the door of Lake Michigan. In spite of the quarantine.

The real solution is to make stopping the spread of invasive species a federal issue. We need an extremely activist federal response to these issues. I applaud Colorado's attention to the problem, but I'm suggesting a different solution.

[hatrack]

2. Close them to boating during the SUMMER? When people are spending MONEY?

Perish the thought!

[joshcryer]

4. Those people spending money keep the parks alive. I hope you saw the National Parks documentaries...

[hatrack]

5. In case the question has been gnawing at you, no, I'm not a total idiot

Yes, I have heard of that funding model, somewhere . . .

More to the point, could it be that maybe Colorado Fish & Game could have been just a bit more energetic in boat inspections and mussel quarantines in years past?

Given what's already well under way in the Lower Colorado and with quaggas already moving into Mead, I could probably say the same thing about the National Park Service as well.

[joshcryer]

3. Cost saving measure so the inspections can be lessened, it seems.

The real solution is people taking care of their boats and making sure they're clean.