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Week of June 16, 2022
ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
Northglenn-ThorntonSentinel.com
VOLUME 58 | ISSUE 45
Invasive mussels haven’t been found in Colorado’s lakes and reservoirs Wildlife officials are battling to keep it that way
Westminster considering way forward with water treatment plant
BY TATIANA FLOWERS THE COLORADO SUN
BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Zebra and quagga mussels do not yet exist in Colorado’s lakes and reservoirs, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife leaders are working hard to keep it that way. They’re stepping up enforcement efforts through a statewide decontamination program. Each year, the department runs the Aquatic Nuisance Species Program, where inspectors at 73 locations decontaminate boats before they enter and exit Colorado’s waterways. Since the program’s inception in 2008, almost 500,000 boats have been inspected annually. The inspections help detect species like zebra and quagga mussels that attach to boats. If knocked off, the muscles can drop into, and infect, Colorado waters. “Each year, the number of boats we are intercepting here in Colorado is increasing significantly,” said Robert Walters, invasive species program manager. “In 2017, we intercepted 26 boats coming into the state that had mussels on them. In 2021 alone, we intercepted 181.” Colorado is not free of all invasive aquatic nuisance species. Some bodies of water in Colorado contain Eurasian watermilfoil, for example, which grows quickly and blocks sunlight, and can kill off native aquatic plants that fish and other underwater species rely on for food and shelter.
Westminster’s water utility staff are asking a lot of questions about the future of the city service, including how it could handle wildfire-contaminated runoff along its watershed “Right now, we’re really balancing what our priorities are and balancing really what city council’s priorities are and then at the end of the process, we’ll start putting actual numbers to the alternatives,” said Sarah Borgers, interim department director of Westminster’s Public Works and Utilities. One of those alternatives is treating wildfire and algae bloom contaminated water and making it taste good. “Is that something we want to invest in as a community or not?” she said. The biggest risk to Westminster’s drinking water is wildfires and algae blooms, according to Tom Scribner, water treatment superintendent with Westminster. The water flows from Loveland pass to Clear Creek to Farmers Highline canal and into the lake. Borgers said wildfire risk is high. “Unfortunately, Clear Creek is at a very high risk for having a catastrophic wildfire,” she said. It is something the city is very aware of and Westminster is heavily involved with mitigating wildfire in the watershed, she said. “If it were to get into Stanley Lake, Semper probably would have a hard time treating it. But we have the ability to divert water around Standley so that Semper is not having to treat that poor quality water,” Borgers said.
SEE MUSSELS, P2
A heavily infested propeller and lower unit of a boat is pictured by Colorado Parks and Wildlife inspectors. The organization has since 2008 run an aquatic nuisance program that intercepts and decontaminated more boats each year in hopes of keeping invasive species out of Colorado’s waterways.
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 20
COURTESY OF ROBERT WALTERS/COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Evergreen Jazz Festival Big Talent! Small Venues! Great Setting!
Order tickets by June 30th and SAVE!
EvergreenJazz.org 303-697-5467
SEE WATER, P2
July 29, 30 & 31