To fight invasive quagga mussels, Utah officials inspected over 288,000 boats in 2025, Hoodline reported.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Utah Department of Natural Resources partnered with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the National Park Service in a joint initiative to inspect and decontaminate thousands of boats visiting the state's bodies of water. Across 288,554 boat inspections, the officials performed 6,509 decontaminations, with the infested Lake Powell area accounting for 1,886 of them, or more than a quarter.
"The dip tanks continue to be invaluable in improving efficiency for our decontaminations of complex boats," said Lt. Bruce Johnson of the Utah DNR Law Enforcement Aquatic Invasive Species Statewide Operations, per Hoodline.
Invasive species like the quagga mussel and the Eurasian watermilfoil are a major problem as they spread across the U.S. and other regions. While they are innocent enough in their home environments, they thrive a little too well in new areas, eating up resources and crowding out other species. This can lead to major environmental and economic damage, and even the extinction of the existing species in the area, while also destroying the beautiful natural environments that people travel to visit.
In the case of quagga mussels, the damage to human properties is often direct: They clog water lines and create a stinky mess that costs money to clean up.
Johnson highlighted the importance of following regulations to keep Utah's waters clear of this hazard. "Make sure to plan ahead for next year and be sure to take the mandatory education course, pay the required fees, and display the necessary decals on your watercraft, so you can be ready for another great boating season next year," he said, per Hoodline.
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In particular, boat owners should be aware that in cold weather, it takes thirty days dry and out of the water to decontaminate a boat that has been exposed to quagga mussels and other invasive species. You can also follow a more active decontamination procedure to shorten the wait time.
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