News Release Archive

Bureau of Reclamation to host informational sessions on proposed quagga mussel control at Davis Dam

Media Contact: Colleen Dwyer, (702) 293-8420, 04/18/2011 17:01
Faye Streier, fstreier@usbr.gov

For Release: April 18, 2011

Reclamation has established an extensive program to address the impacts of quagga mussels on its facilities on the lower Colorado River. A recently proposed project at Davis Dam would add Zequanox(TM) to the facility's cooling water system that provides water to cool generator bearings, heat exchangers, air compressor and other equipment throughout the powerplant.

Zequanox(TM) is the trade name for a commercial quagga and zebra mussel treatment product developed by Marrone Bio Innovations of Davis, Calif. Zequanox(TM) contains natural compounds including the dead Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria that, when ingested, destroy the invasive mussels' digestive systems.

Reclamation is hosting a series of open houses to inform interested parties about this action:

What: Public Open House on proposed Project to Control Quagga Mussels at Davis Dam Using Zequanox(TM)

Monday, May 2 (Two sessions)
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PST
Bullhead City Chamber of Commerce
1251 Highway 95, Bullhead City, Ariz.

Tuesday, May 10 (Two sessions)
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PST
Lake Havasu City Public Library
1770 N. McCulloch Blvd, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

Bureau of Reclamation staff will be available to answers questions about the project during the open houses. Displays will address the location of the activities, how the project would improve maintenance operations at Davis Dam, and the procedures Reclamation will follow to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act.

Also, a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for this proposed project is now available for review. The Draft EA, available at www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g2000/envdocs.html, evaluates the proposed action alternative and a no action alternative and their potential impacts to the natural and human environment.

Comments should be mailed to Dana Anat at the Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Office, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, Nev. 89006 or faxed to (702) 293-8418, no later than May 16, 2011. Please direct questions to Ms. Anat at (702) 293-8055, or danat@usbr.gov.

Quagga mussels pose serious threats to Reclamation's infrastructure and operations at Hoover, Davis, and Parker Dams' hydroelectric generation facilities. Intake structures, pipes, and strainers are becoming clogged with these creatures, reducing the abilities of these structures to pump and deliver water and generate hydropower. Reclamation is actively researching effective monitoring and control solutions that can be applied at facilities throughout the West. On the lower Colorado River, Reclamation has invested more than $12 million in efforts for quagga mussel research, control and education from 2008 through 2010. Many other federal, state and local agencies throughout the Southwest are also collaborating in these efforts to help mitigate the impacts of mussels and keep facilities operating at efficient levels.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.