Biologists have discovered a live adult zebra mussel below the Westwater Recreation Area in the Utah side of the Colorado River, raising the risk of the invasive species spreading in the state. The discovery was made Sept. 22, about a month after testing detected zebra mussel DNA in the water in Utah, according to a news release from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The division received confirmation Wednesday that it had in fact found a live mussel downstream of the infestation near Loma, Colorado. … Invasive mussels are a particular threat in irrigation-dependent Utah. They can spread to water lines, clogging pipes and costing millions of dollars to remove, and damage boat engines. They remove plankton from water, disrupting food supplies for fish. 

Related:

• KSL (Salt Lake City): Destructive invasive species has entered Utah portion of Colorado River
• KPCW (Park City, Utah): Utah wildlife officials find zebra mussels in Colorado River
• Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: News release: Live zebra mussel confirmed in Utah portions of the Colorado River