PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be seeking the public’s input on proposed regulations to fight the spread of quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species in Arizona waters.

The measures, known as “director’s orders” and authorized by the Aquatic Invasive Species Interdiction Act passed this year by the Arizona Legislature, will give Game and Fish the authority to identify those species considered aquatic invasives, identify the waters that contain them, and establish mandatory conditions for moving boats from those waters.

The department will host a series of public meetings and a webcast in January to provide information on the impacts of aquatic invasive species and responsible actions boaters and anglers can take to fight their spread, describe the proposed regulations and how they will help protect our natural resources for the future enjoyment of Arizonans, and provide the opportunity to provide input.

“It is critical for anyone who uses watercraft, or has a business reliant on watercraft, to understand the essential nature of this aquatic invasive species containment effort,” said Tom McMahon, invasive species program coordinator with Game and Fish. “The spread of quagga mussels has far-reaching impacts, both financial and ecological, that can touch virtually every resident of the state.”

Quagga mussels were found in Lake Mead in early 2007 and are now found in several other Arizona waters. They originally came from Eurasia and became established in the Great Lakes in the 1980s. They colonize rapidly on hard surfaces and can ruin boat motors and clog water intake structures, such as pipes and screens, therefore impacting pumping capabilities for power and water treatment plants.

Invasive mussels such as quaggas and the closely related zebra mussels have cost Midwestern industries and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance and damage repair.

Game and Fish will kick off the public meetings with a meeting and Web simulcast on Jan. 7, from 6-7:30 p.m., at the department’s headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix. There will be a formal presentation, the opportunity to ask questions, and information on how to submit comments. The meeting can also be viewed on the Internet at www.azgfd.gov/webcast and at the Kingman regional office at 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road. A link to the presentation will subsequently be posted on the department's Web site within a few days of the meeting.

Additional in-person meetings will be held at these locations:

• Jan. 12, 3:30-5 p.m. - Lake Havasu, BLM field office, 2610 Sweetwater Ave.
• Jan. 19, 6-7:30 p.m. - Bullhead City, Mohave Community College, 3400 Highway 95.
• Jan. 21, 6-7:30 p.m. - Mesa, Game and Fish Region 6 office, 7200 E. University Dr.

Public comments will be accepted until 5 p.m., Jan. 25. Those unable to attend a meeting or view the webcast may submit comments at quaggacomments@azgfd.gov.

“Identifying the quagga and zebra mussel affected waterways was probably the most critical step in the process to date,” McMahon said. “This step leads us down a path to outreach, education, and regulations that will help protect the water resources that Arizona’s boaters, anglers and other recreationists enjoy."

McMahon advised all watercraft users to clean, drain, and dry their boats to avoid the transportation of mussels and other invasive species to non-infected bodies of water.

“It’s not just mussels we’re dealing with,” McMahon said. “There are a number of species that can alter our aquatic ecosystems and damage our state’s water conveyance infrastructure. Avoiding transportation of undesirable plant and animal life to other bodies of water can be achieved through the simple steps of cleaning, draining, and drying your boat after each outing."

“It’s important for anybody using these bodies of water to understand the significance of their actions. You don’t want to be the person that first infected a waterbody with an invasive species. Remember, ‘Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers’ and ‘Don’t Move a Mussel.’”

For more information on invasive species, visit the Arizona Game and Fish Web site at www.azgfd.gov. For more information on the meetings, contact McMahon at tmcmahon@azgfd.gov.