ST. GEORGE – In a statement prepared by the Washington County Water Conservancy District last week addressing the identification of quagga mussels in Lake Powell, the district took the position that the mussels do not jeopardize the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline and indicated that the project is on track for construction to begin around 2020. Following is the water district’s statement:
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has positively identified quagga mussels in Lake Powell. Quagga mussels are an invasive species that has spread rapidly throughout the United States and can impact water supply infrastructure, including intakes and pipelines, as well as water quality and recreation.
This discovery does not jeopardize the Lake Powell Pipeline, a State of Utah project that will transport approximately 82,000 acre feet of water from Lake Powell to water users in Washington and Kane Counties via a 138-mile underground pipeline.
There are many chemicals and other approaches that have proven effective at controlling mussels in pipelines. Plans to prevent the infestation from spreading to other water bodies, including Sand Hollow and Quail Creek Reservoirs, will be included in the Lake Powell Pipeline plan.
The Lake Powell Pipeline is currently nearing the completion of several years of environmental studies. A preliminary record of decision is expected in 2016 and a final design in 2018. Construction is expected to commence around 2020.
Project developers expect additional control methods will be available when the Lake Powell Pipeline commences construction since research on quagga mussels is ongoing.
The State of Utah and water districts in Washington and Kane counties remain committed to providing a safe, reliable water supply for its growing populations.
Related posts
Quagga Mussels
- ON Kilter: The goose that laid the golden quagga mussels
- Lake Powell infested with invasive mussels – Feb. 27, 2014
- Mussel discovery in Lake Powell; boaters must decontaminate before leaving – April 3, 2013
- State officials expand efforts to battle invasive mussels – May 7, 2012
- Mussels in Utah: so far, so good; except maybe Sand Hollow – Jan. 25, 2012
- Two Boats Decontaminated at Checkpoint, Work Continues to Keep Quagga Mussels out of Utah – May 18, 2011
Lake Powell Pipeline
- Feds cut water from Lake Powell; resource planning committee hears pipeline alternatives
- CIRPAC meeting on conservation, Lake Powell pipeline
- Lake Powell Pipeline dominates water forum
- Letter to the Editor: Lake Powell Pipeline a ‘Good Ol’ Boy’ scam, a ‘pipe dream’
- Letter to the Editor: The flaws of ‘Fill Mead First’
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Hmm, do we really want chemicals in our water designed to kill these things? I’d like to see a full plan, including costs, detailing how they plan to deal with the mussels. It seems to me the millions to be made by certain individuals, that they will say ANYTHING to get the pipeline built, and we as taxpayers will be paying for the thing for years or decades.
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Who here feels good about mussel insecticides in the drinking water?
Build the pipeline!!!!!
Death to the pipline!!!!!!
The pipline is a bad LIBERAL idea. They want to make everyone’s water bill go up 500%.
The pipeline is a bad idea for several reasons. One is because it will put the people in southern Utah into serious debt that they cannot pay; and two is because insecticide in our water supply is never a good idea.
How is it that unelected officials can burden the taxpayers like this? The majority of southern Utah residents that I know don’t want this pipeline. This is less about a pipeline for water, and more about a pipe dream for the water district bureaucrats.
Surely there are other means to get the water that we need than this pipeline.
Additionally, how can we be sure the water supply in the Colorado river can keep up with demand? If, for some reason droughts continue (unheard of in the desert, right?) and the water supply in the Colorado diminishes, the pipeline bill will not diminish with it
Tell the people you know ZACII that the 3 members of the Washington County Commission appoint the board of directors of the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD). As long as we keep electing conservative Republicans to the County Commission who are part of the local growth machine, we will have a WCWCD board who will let Ron Thompson build his pipeline.
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Elect two moderate Democrats to the County Commission and you will likely have a county government that wastes less money on “message lawsuits” against the Feds and also either stops the pipeline, or allows it to come to a local vote. Keep reelecting the same Republicans put forth by the local Republican establishment and you will get the pipeline shoved down your throat.
the pumps will grind up the quagga mussels and that will be good for the future golf courses the enrichened developers will put in.
us drinking the stuff, not so good.
Drinking water made of ground up mussels and mussel insecticide–might be delicious–don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.
” After years of infestation in Europe and North America, a chemical toxicant for lake-wide control of Dreissena(mussels) has not been developed mainly because it would be deadly to other aquatic life forms.”
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http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?speciesid=95
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Some good pics of mussels
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http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/quagga/photos.html
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take notice of what they do to Water Supply Intakes
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SLtrib article http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57596058-78/mussels-lake-powell-canyon.html.csp