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Because Deer Creek had a false positive requiring all this decon mess.
If it were really infested, the lower Provo and UL would be infested.
Deer Creek will probably go back off the "naughty list" later this year or early next (three certified clean years).
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The simple answer is that there have not been any positive tests from any water downstream of DC. And also because they are reasonably sure that the positive test that came from DC was probably a false alarm.
Prevention is the wise option, though. So they considered DC to be infested and acted accordingly. We can't fault them for that, really.
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You make a valid point that I have also made. If indeed they are in Deer Creek then they will also be everywhere else in northern Utah very soon. I make this statement because of all of the boats that moved from Deer Creek to other bodies of water before they decided Deer Creek was infested. If Deer Creek was indeed infested, when they run their tests, it didn't become infested the day before they took their samples.
Also, if Deer Creek is infested the Provo River, Utah Lake and the Mighty Jordan River are also infested. I also predict that in the not-too-distant future all waters allowing boats in Utah will have mussels. How many boats left Lake Powell infected with mussels before mussels were discovered in Lake Powell?
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Your concerns are valid, but fortunately most of our waters are too cold to sustain zebra and quagga reproduction. UL and Jordan Rivers would be impacted though.
It seems to me like invasive species cannot be stopped, only slowed down. Once Pandora's box is open, closing it doesn't seem all that possible.
[fishin]
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You had better rethink that! Our waters are not to cold to allow and sustain mussel populations. These little critters are very much able to reproduce in any of the waters of Utah. Not sure where you got that, but do not think that it is to cold for them to reproduce. Just think of mussels in say Bear Lake or Fish Lake. We already have them in Powell and Sand Hollow. I don't think that the Great Lakes are warmer than Deer Creek or Jordanelle. Many lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan have been infected and their waters are as cold or colder. Please do not spread the myth that Utah waters are to cold to support mussels, some nut will figure they don't have to decontaminate their boat and will spread the damn things all over. We do NOT need or want them to spread any further than they have.
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[quote Anglinarcher]Your concerns are valid, but fortunately most of our waters are too cold to sustain zebra and quagga reproduction.
[fishin][/quote]
Looks like Therapist already got to this. Obviously, our Great Lakes region has these critters, and those areas are not warmer than our waters here in Utah. But, for further evidence, look to their native waters in eastern Europe.
Quagga mussels have been found in depths up to 540 feet in Lake Michigan.
Quagga can tolerate water between 1-30 degrees C. They can reproduce in water above 9 degrees C.
At 28 degrees C (82F) you see significant mortality with mussels. They thrive at 16 degrees C.
For comparison, brown trout prefer a water temperature range of approximately 16 - 18 degrees C. The Provo may be a bit cool for high reproduction, but certainly Deer Creek isn't. Nor Utah Lake. And adults would thrive just fine in the Provo.
The "cold" waters of Utah are just fine for mussels.
Good info on mussels can be found here:
[url "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiW4u_MgrvUAhURxmMKHRHXAvMQFggoMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnrm.dfg.ca.gov%2FFileHandler.ashx%3FDocumentID%3D3881&usg=AFQjCNEgJpBg5ET6cMUzOHaoYKa-8-Z34A&sig2=jkWZ9avOE4hslIc1O_tsyA"]Western Quagga Mussels[/url]
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