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State law-enforcement unit reports dip-tank test shows 100% mortality; Kanab inspection station expands containment efforts
Summary
Utah Division of Law Enforcement officials told Kane County commissioners that biological testing at the Stateline Ramp dip tank produced a 100% mortality rate for targeted mussels, strengthening the case for dip-tank containment and the Kanab secondary inspection station despite staffing limits.
KANE COUNTY, Utah — John Bruce Johnson, lieutenant for the Utah Division of Law Enforcement's aquatic invasive species program, told the Kane County Commission on Oct. 14 that recent biological validation shows their dip tanks are effective and that containment efforts at Lake Powell and Kanab are central to preventing spread.
"We proved a 100% mortality of all villagers and adult mussels in our dip tank at the Stateline Ramp," Johnson said, reporting the results of a study his division conducted. He described statewide inspection activity — just under 300,000 inspections this year — and noted Lake Powell recorded about 50,000 inspections and roughly 1,800 decontaminations in the current year.
Johnson said the agency's dip tanks (Bullfrog, Stateline Ramp) and the recently operational Kanab inspection station (weekends only due to staffing constraints) play complementary roles: Lake Powell staff can issue certificates and speed launch-ramp traffic; Kanab acts as a secondary net to inspect craft that bypass the initial ramp screening. He acknowledged staffing and recruiting challenges for field teams working long hours in extreme heat at Lake Powell and said the division pays around $16 per hour for staff at inspection sites.
Commissioners and staff discussed operational logistics (separate inspection lanes for certified Lake Powell inspections versus new inspections; red/yellow/green screening lanes to route boats for decontamination) and potential public pushback over dual stops. Johnson said the division will continue outreach and said Colorado has expressed interest in following the state's lead by adding similar containment systems.
Context: Johnson also reported new invasive detections in nearby waters (zebra mussels at High Line Reservoir, quagga mussels in Idaho, and "golden mussels" in California) and said the travel patterns of boaters from southern/central California and Arizona increase risk. The divisional results are being used to refine operations and to argue for continued or expanded inspection staffing at key ramps.
What's next: staff said they will continue to work with state partners, increase public notifications about the secondary Kanab inspection station and consider staffing expansions for seven-day coverage if resources allow.
