Casper Resident Discovers THOUSANDS of Zebra Mussels on New Boat Lift

Recently a Casper resident purchased a boat lift with plans to install it in a local lake.

According to Wyoming Game and Fish, this equipment came from a dealership out of state — a state with invasive mussel-infested waters.

When the lift made it to Wyoming, this boater noticed something was off.

Thousands upon thousands of invasive zebra mussels encrusted the lift — and were still alive.

Luckily, the boater called local Game and Fish personnel and the aquatic invasive species team was able to clean and quarantine the lift before it went in the water.

This instance is a good reminder to all who live in or visit Wyoming to protect our waters and be sure anything going into our lakes and rivers is Clean, Drained and Dry — boat or no boat.

About the Zebra Mussel

This striped little mussel is originally from Russia and Ukraine lakes. It's been a notoriously invasive species in the U.S. since the 1980s.

Congressional researchers have estimated that the zebra mussel has cost businesses and communities over $5 billion since their initial invasion.

The westward expansion of invasive mussels is significant as Wyoming remains one of the few states yet to have the destructive species.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is concerned about the potential impacts the nearby zebra mussels could have on Wyoming, especially the inadvertent movement of invasive mussels into the state. Keeping them out of the state remains a top priority for the Wyoming Game and Fish.