In The NoCo

Invasive zebra mussels devastate ecosystems. Can officials stop them from harming the Colorado River?

By In The NoCo,

Published August 19, 2025 at 5:59 AM MDT

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Several zebra mussels sit in a glass jar. — Zebra mussels larvae have been detected in the Colorado River, where they have the potential to devastate ecosystems and clog up water infrastructure.

A small menace is invading the river that supplies water to 40 million people in southwestern states.

Zebra mussels are tiny freshwater shellfish. They’re about the size of your thumbnail, with a striped shell. Since the late 1980s, they’ve spread to 30 states across the country, including Colorado.

Now, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says they’ve been found in the Colorado River near towns like Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs.

Zebra mussels wreak havoc on water infrastructure and devastate ecosystems. And they are difficult – if not impossible – to eradicate from rivers.

We wanted to learn more about why this species is so damaging and what Colorado Parks and Wildlife plans to do about them. Erin O’Toole spoke with Robert Walters, who oversees the agency’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Program.

If you spot a zebra mussel you can report it to Colorado Parks and Wildlife using this online form. You can also email invasive.species@state.co.us or call 303-291-7295.

A single zebra mussel is attached to the hull of a boat. — A single female zebra mussel can produce up to 1 million offspring a year.

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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