Countries – For more than a decade, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has focused on keeping aquatic invasive species (AIS) out of the state’s lakes and reservoirs. However, as the danger of zebra and quagga clams increases, Game and Fish is taking extra precautions to prepare. This spring, the department is rolling out quick response plans to enable swift action if AIS is discovered and would like feedback from the public.
Take game and fish public comments until May 16 on 22 proposed plans for lakes and reservoirs across the state. Plans and an online feedback form can be found on the AIS website. If AIS, such as zebra or quagga mussels, are discovered in a body of water in Wyoming, those plans will shift AIS management to contain the mussels while preventing further spread in Wyoming and the west.
In total, Game and Fish will have 23 quick response plans. Flaming Gorge Reservoir was the first in the series to be released in early 2021. Plans have been developed for three bodies of water in the Lander area that are considered to be high / moderate risk for the introduction of AIS due to the habitat conditions and the use of the boat: Boysen Reservoir, Ocean Lake and Pilot Butte Reservoir.
“These plans focus on controlling and preventing the further spread of zebra or quagga mussels through coordination, education and surveillance, as well as inspection and decontamination of watercraft, as necessary,” said Josh Leonard, coordinator for aquatic invasive species in game and fish. “If mussels are found, in most places there are limited access points and opportunities to initially launch watercraft in the first year, and launching watercraft on land may be prohibited. Control stations will be strategically relocated at the pinch points of the motorway to intercept all watercraft going to and from the reservoir. “
Due to the high likelihood of the introduction of zebras or quagga mussels, Rapid Response Plans have been drawn up for the Wyoming waters. These criteria include high usage by boaters, especially boaters outside of the state, and water with chemical and physical properties that favor the survival and colonization of zebra or quagga mussels.
Kevin Gelwicks, assistant fisheries management coordinator for game and fish, said the department’s fisheries biologists spent a lot of time creating these plans, which outlined the equipment, staff and other resources that will be used to combat mussel detection have to.
“Developing these plans has been a valuable exercise and has raised our awareness of what it will be about if mussels ever establish themselves in Wyoming. Hopefully we can put these plans on the shelf now and never have to use them again, ”he said.
Visit the AIS Quick Response Plan website to review and provide feedback.
– WGFD –
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April 30, 2021, 4:55 PM GMT
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