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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7 - Matters from the department - Valmont City Park and Aquatic Invasive Species / TO: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board %j~'~ FROM: Jan Geden, CPRP, Director of Parks and Recreation Sarah DeSouza, Policy and Information Services Manager Alice Guthrie, Parks and Planning Superintendent Recreation Superintendent SliBJECT: Matters from the Department DATE: September 22, 2008 A. Valmont City Park Design Process i;pdate -Verbal Update B. Aquatic invasive Species Attachment A: Weekly Information Packet Item, August 14, 2008 Attachment B: Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District System Attachment C: Pictures of Mussel Effects Attachment A WEEKLY INFORMATION PACKET MEMORANDUM To: Mayor McGrath and City Council From: Stephanie A. Grainger, Interim City Manager Paul Fetherston, Deputy City Manager Maureen Rait, Executive Director of Public Works Ned Williams, Director of Public Works for Utilities Jan Geden, Director of Parks and Recreation Mike Patton, Director of Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Bret Linenfelser, Water Quality Coordinator, Utilities Betty Solek, Water Quality Planner, Utilities Matt Clausen, Urban Resource Manager, Parks and Recreation Stacy Cole, Acting Boulder Reservoir Manager, Parks and Recreation Eric Fairlee, Integrated Pest Manager, Open Space and Mountain Parks Date: August 14, 2008 Subject: Information Item: Update on Potential Mussel Introduction to Boulder Reservoir EXECUTIVE SUNLVIARY: Zebra and,quagga mussels were first found in the United States (Great Lakes) in 1988. Since their discovery, these aquatic invasive species have been causing environmental, infrastructure maintenance and water quality issues in the east and midwest. These issues have resulted in substantive financial and environmental impacts. Earlier this year, they were discovered in Colorado reservoirs for the first time. The Boulder Reservoir Watershed Management Group (BRWMG), which is made up of staff from three departments, has been coordinating to develop short- and long-term action plans to address potential introduction of the mussels. Key information includes: 1. Recent discovery of zebra mussels in Pueblo Reservoir and quagga mussels in Lake Powell and Lake Granby have raised concerns for the possible transport of these species into Boulder Reservoir from boats and other watercraft. 2. To date, monitoring results for Boulder Reservoir and Carter Lake are negative for mussel presence, but monitoring continues. 3. Based on general guidelines, Boulder Reservoir water quality, specifically calcium levels, is suitable to support zebra and quagga mussel populations and reproduction. Colorado State Parks and the Division of Wildlife are currently monitoring Boulder Reservoir for evidence of zebra and quagga mussel introduction. 4. Zebra and quagga mussel infestation cause increased maintenance issues, clogging intake structures and pipelines which then require routine and expensive maintenance (Attachment B). fiCENDti ITEIN ~p~E ~ 5. These species create conditions that degrade the quality of water in the reservoir for drinking water purposes. 6. Mussel infestation causes impacts to recreational activities: coating shorelines of reservoirs, making them unattractive or unsuitable for recreation and harming boat motors. 7. City of Boulder Parks and Recreation, Open Space and Mountain Parks and Utilities staff have instituted and recommend additional preventative measures to address potential mussel infestation of Boulder Reservoir. FISCAL IMPACT: 2008-2009 This proposed action for the 2008 boating permit season requires minimal upfront capital cost for the tagging supplies ($830). Additional staff will also be necessary to carry out the inspection, cleaning and tagging program, to provide increased patrol for bait fishing restrictions and to carry out the administrative and public education needs. Staffing costs for the balance of the current boating petrnit season (through February 2009) are dependent on number of entry points monitored. Staffing estimates range from $54,800 for inspections at two south shore entry points to $144,370 to effectively address all south shore entry points. Response to Infestation If Boulder Reservoir were to be infested with zebra or quagga mussels, the initial actions taken to combat this problem would be: 1. Replace Boulder Water Treatment Facility intake screens with copper screens 2. Install chemical feed systems to keep veligers (young, free-floating mussel larval stage) from attaching to the intake pipeline and outlet works 3. Periodically operate the isolation valves to prevent accumulation of zebra mussels on the valve components to ensure their ability to seal water tight 4. Increase the frequency of intake structure/pipeline inspections 5. Clean the interior of the pipelines. These actions all will have on-going staffing requirements in addition to current operations. Increased capital costs are currently estimated at greater than $400,000 and annual operating costs are estimated at greater than $200,000. COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTS AND IMPACTS: Economic: If Boulder Reservoir becomes infested with the zebra/quagga mussel, there is a potential for a change in the fishery and overall recreational opportunity on the reservoir. This change could also result in a diminishment of the recreational value of Boulder Reservoir and loss of a portion of the recreational revenue that supports the recreation facilities. There may also be revenue losses to local community businesses that support the boating visitors to Boulder Reservoir. Economic impacts on infested drinking water infrastructure include lost production, time and effort expended to remediate clogged systems, the replacement of damaged components, capital retrofit projects to prevent future fouling, and long-term control and management activities. AGENDA ITEM NACE? • Environmental: 'Zebra mussel infestations can result in a significant shift in the ecology of a lake or reservoir. In general, the presence of quagga and zebra mussels increases the amount of algae growth in reservoirs due to the increased amount of water that is exposed to light and the increased availability of nutrients. Other impacts on lakes from quagga and zebra mussels include an increase in the aquatic plant growth due to increased water clarity. The impact of zebra mussels on fisheries depends on the type of fish and their feeding methods. • Social: Actions to remedy or reduce the problem may include major, costly changes to the treatment processes. The resulting costs and change in taste would have impacts on all parts of the community. Users of the reservoir include city residents as well as regional visitors from various demographics. Restrictions to recreational opportunities can affect individual activities, age levels and specific programs currently offered. BACKGROUND: Regional Context Zebra mussels are an invasive species that have recently arrived in the western U.S. This small mussel has resulted in significant impacts to water providers, ecosystems and recreationists. T'he quagga mussel is similar and related to the zebra mussel. Quagga mussels can have an even greater impact on aquatic systems than the zebra mussel. This memorandum will refer to both zebra and quagga mussels interchangeably. The zebra mussel was first found in the U.S. in 1988 and has subsequently spread through much of the Eastern and Midwest portions of the country. They have infested waters in 23 states and two Canadian provinces east of the Continental Divide. In 2007, zebra and quagga mussels were first found west of the Rocky Mountains and are now colonizing in more than a dozen water bodies including Lake Mead and Lake Powell. This year, the discovery of zebra mussels in Pueblo Reservoir and quagga mussels in Lake Granby has raised new concerns regarding potential introduction to Boulder Reservoir because they are now known to exist in popular recreational waters within a day's drive of Boulder Reservoir. This issue is now a high priority for Boulder. Basic Mussel Biology A mature female zebra mussel can produce a million eggs per year. Veligers are the &ee- swimming larvae of the adult zebra and quagga mussel. Veligers and young adults can spread via flowing water or by various types of watercraft that have not been thoroughly drained and dried. The veligers disperse in the water much like algae and attach to any hard service such as inlet and outlet structures, boats arld even aquatic species with hard shells. (See Attachment B.) Water intake structures serve as an excellent habitat for mussel colonization. The continuous flow of water into intakes carries with it a continuous source of food and oxygen and carries away the mussels' wastes, while the structures themselves protect the mussels from predation, siltation, and wave and ice scour. Mussels spread rapidly and can dominate a water body in a year. Densities of over 70,000 individuals per square meter have been reported. AGENDA ITEM # ~ S ,PAGE 3 Environmental Changes Zebra mussel infestations can result in a significant shift in the ecology of a lake or reservoir. 'Mussels filter a large quantity of water. A single zebra mussel can filter one quart of water per day. Given the large densities and the ability to filter, a significant amount of water is affected daily, which increases the clarity of the water. Quagga and zebra mussels increase the amount of algae growth in reservoirs due to the increased amount of water that is exposed to light and the increased availability of nutrients due to their filtering processes. Quagga and zebra mussels feed on particular types of algae upsetting the natural food chain in lake systems. Other impacts on ecosystems from quagga and zebra mussels include; • The increase in the aquatic plant growth in lakes due to increased water clarity. • Fish species and their reproduction are diminished due to vegetative changes and decreased food availability. • Direct and in-direct impacts to other aquatic-dependent species such as birds, amphibians and vegetation (e.g. bird botulism, lack of nesting areas, increase of non- native plants). • Blankets of blue green algae blooms can get washed onto shorelines and create odor problems when the algae begin to decompose. • Accumulations of decaying mussels and bottom-growing filamentous algae can also result in significant odor problems. Transportation of Species Mussels are transported between water bodies mostly by human-related mechanisms. The overland transfer of boats and boat trailers containing zebra mussels is thought to be a primary means oflong-distance overland dispersal. Fishing equipment and bait buckets are also known transport mechanisms. Mussels adhere to components of a boat and can live outside of water for several days. In addition, young mussels can be present in undrained portions of boats (live wells, bilge wells, bait tanks, etc.). Another potential transport mechanism is via canals and water transmission facilities from infected reservoirs. The primary source of raw water to Boulder Reservoir is delivered from the Colorado-Big Thompson project via Boulder Feeder Canal. The Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) system, including Boulder Feeder Canal, is managed by Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD). Quagga mussels were positively identified in Granby Lake, ahigh-elevation reservoir in the Colorado-Big Thompson system. (See Attachment A.) There is potential for mussels to be transmitted via the CBT system, but there are questions about the ability of the mussel to survive in the water quality conditions of this high-elevation reservoir. The interconnections of the CBT system illustrate the need to coordinate regionally on prevention efforts. AGENDA iTEIVI # ~ t~AGE - I Effects on Recreational Use In addition to the impacts to water transmission and treatment facilities, infestation of Boulder Reservoir by mussels would impact recreation operations as well. Mussel shells can accumulate on shorelines and beaches. Mussel shells are sharp and can cut people's feet and fishermen's lines. Zebra mussels can attach to boat motors and props, affecting engine performance and sometimes jamming steering equipment. Expensive motor damage can be caused if veligers are taken into the cooling system. There, they can attach, grow and block intake screens, internal passages, hoses, seacocks and strainers. (See Attachment B.) Effects to Water Infrastructure Fouling and clogging of raw water systems begins at the point of intake and can extend throughout a facility to any discharge. At the point of intake, submerged intake cribs, trash racks, pipelines and tunnels, and shoreline forebays and pumping wells are subject to severe fouling. Once inside a drinking water treatment facility, the mussels can colonize any surface up to the first oxidation or filtration stage where they are either killed or filtered from the water. In the reservoir, these mussels have a taste for what we would consider the "good" algae and reject the "bad" blue green algae. This encourages the growth of blue green algae, which produces taste and odor issues. The taste and order impacts can be addressed through water treatment but ai an added cost. ANALYSIS: Once these mussels are introduced to a water body, they are almost impossible to eradicate. Preventative measures are essential to implement. Responsive actions and costs in the event of introduction are also important to identify. Preventative Measures 1'he following preventative efforts have been initiated by the Water Utility, Parks and Recreation, and OSMP staff to-date: 1. Suspended one-day boat permits for power boats. 2. Host boaters open house on potential impacts of zebra and quagga mussels on July 29, 2008. 3. City press release on Aquatic Nuisance Species concern at Boulder Reservoir. 4. Educational signs advising of Aquatic Nuisance Species installed at boat ramps, north shore and Coot Lake. 5. Evaluate options and funding for boat inspections and boat quarantine. 6. In progress: emergency regulations (per Boulder Revised Code 8-3-3, City Manager's Rule} for Boulder Reservoir for regulatory enforcement capability of boating restrictions as they relate to the prevention, inspection and monitoring for invasive species. 7. Restriction of walk-in watercraft (canoes, kayaks, etc.) from the north shore of Boulder Reservoir and Coot Lake to encourage use of reservoir main entrance for monitoring and information dissemination. AGENDA ITEM , F'pGE 8. Investigation of preventive actions that other nearby agencies, such as Westminster and NCWCD, are developing or implementing. Response to Infestation If infestation occurs, the Water Utility will incur significant financial impacts. Zebra or quagga mussel growth and buildup in the city's water collection and treatment infrastructure would prompt capital replacement and long-term maintenance costs for the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Facility. Staff has developed very preliminary cost estimates to address mussel impacts to the treatment facility, which include the intake structures from Boulder Feeder Canal and Boulder Reservoir. Annual operating costs are estimated to increase by more than $200,000 for increased inspections, maintenance, cleaning and repair. Capital costs could increase by as much as $400,000. These estimates are based on comparison of costs and facilities to those developed for the City of Westminster Standley Lake facilities and must be refined as staff continues investigation of potential vulnerabilities specific to Boulder Reservoir and the water treatment facility. This change could also result in a diminishment of the recreational value of Boulder Reservoir and a loss of a portion of the recreational revenue. The revenue generated from 2008 boat permit revenue as of mid-July is $294,500. There may also be revenue losses to local community businesses that support the boating visitors to Boulder Reservoir. NEXT STEPS: City staff are developing ashort-term plan to manage boating during the balance of the boat permit season (August 2008- February 2009). Experience in other states has shown that inspecting and cleaning boats greatly reduces the chances of contamination, but only a drying period will effectively kill zebra and quagga mussels. The short-term plan would include the following elements: • Apply inspection and quarantine procedures at Boulder Reservoir to all boats, including untrailered boats such as kayaks, canoes and sailboats. • Implement tagging program to document compliance with inspection and quarantine procedures. Minimal staffing costs for the balance of the boating permit season are estimated to be $54,800 to implement this short-term plan and will be shared equally between the Parks and Recreation Department and the Water Utility. A long-term plan for continued prevention and potential response is also under development. This plan will include an evaluation of other management agencies' preventative actions. For additional information, please contact Betty Solek at soleke@bouldercolorado.gov. Attachment A: Figure of Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District System Attachment R: Pictures of Mussel Impacts AGENDA Il"EM , NgGE Attachment B ATTACHMENT A Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District System ~fH~ C~I~~~D~~~IGTH~M~'~~N ~~~J~CT y o u rc a a-~ ~Va-~e r e I.vr fn a pretty dry region here in nonhesttcm t0 Svpprcment what htoMer Nature prOvldts natwa4y. a we didn`t Cotorada. The area rteelres appro>omatety to INthM of rids region would look !ar different and marry of tK would not t?C prcclpltit,on each year. TtfK amow?t does not melt aY kvirtg trere. ovr rxcds• The telaada•Rlg Thonfpsen MoJeet a C•6T, was lwJt ewer 3Q So what da we dot We bring water hom IM ottxr side of tfK yeas ago to Retp us water the dursty pklns of naateastem Gontlnerrtal DMdc, whFC more titan QO ptr<ent of Colorado's ra+? tt>>orado. Ttte ~-ttT collects water hom rtxtbrts snows on ttrt west And J,ttpw fart, through atW arouftd the bNUtitid Rocky rAettntaint: side of ttte motmlakn, then pfatnys R uphtN and throuyt the 7 3- mbt k>+tg Adams Tunnel .fnd tufttcr Rodry Atountaln W doYl /ark. Ottoe aft water nesth¢s aft cast Cc .cr.: ;c . t y c• r,,.n side h amts mrouyn a series of canals. l:n~t.' "a•~a 'ni~u:,-ric:, pfpeNnts,rcxrvolrs and Powcr planK S'.'. ~ ~ On ks way to Grrr~. -r y our ctiesr !;~,-r Adama 7trnncl ' ! ~.••mt' :rt 4'fltowCreak Rrsrnoir ~ A ~ ~ andlamn. ~ ~ 5hpdOw Grand lake _ _ ~ lake Eatao MouuCnin ~ ~ ~ K Raaarvoir 's\ Matye Luke _ = _ s . Crrr--+ G ~ A t C ;o K•.; r ~ LekA Gro . t'Inewood RPerNOlr F. Fr,:rt'.a•'.; Carter C .,.iG f:. Gnn~y lake ( ae:ec V Cont:nrnt.~t V ~ t/oseetooth .r OMde Dibc Rtecrvoir ~ tunnel t Vlndy Gap Rceenoir f ,_y _ ~ r:::,, ; .ca::' ,n Flatiron C; j' Reeervoir ~ r~orsCoit® ~:z •r 1i'iairC 'flr~: Sloyo ' [aot 6bpr 1 y .,x.44:; ,JC~.!r t•Ar.r~i~,(1 ,t' Gru~~' Cr.'r N e;a (:rr!k lord p~c Y Gorr~ra+n ' Ths t:ontinenul Dfride Is tho ridge • `y ~ ;along the R-aelry Mounts ns that yr.= v s¢parates rivers Rowing Last to the Bou~4er ~ ~ , ' A Atltnuc Ocean from those nowing Raeervolr 'wr t'r C'rr` ~ - • 5vv: l• n!,r: tt ~ 1~ ~ ~ l west to ttx Pacific Ocean, ~ D~u'drr - I ba brcrontUc~d AGENDA ITE{VI ~AGE.~ Attachment C ATTACHMENT B: PICTURES OF MUSSEL EFFECTS WIP ATTACHMENT August 14, 2008 ~ + r ~ ~ - ~ ' rr•. k ~ly~~ - ~1' . i ~ ..~~JE•„r,? ~t lr 1. ' Z:~ - ._~,'rkc.-~,'•~ _ 'i~ Isr• 'r. ~ ,~',-,,M~1 ly, iw ' ~..e ~..1. Domestic Water Intake Parker Dam, California February 21, 2008 (1 year after infestation) r' ~ • _ ~ r • ~ J' ~ I ^i r ~/-III ~'rr f 777 • ~ j ~ y~+~ `•r .j. ~ j ~ S ~ k'~,, ~ ~''.'~~-1. ~..x it . ' ~ _ lr• a 1'~ / 1' ..x , ~ ~ e ~ t'. ~ ~ t AGENDA ITEM ,PAGE g' ATTACHME~tT B: PICTURES 01~ MUSSEL EFFECTS WIP ATTACHMENT August 14, 2008 ;r, M ~ l _ ~ y~ r rT ~C.,~,. ~ n Mussel shells cover beach ~ ~ • r.,' r•- r::~-.~~ ~ r ~~:;z, .M • NV ~ ~ Y' c./ ~ 1 •i Mussels attached to hard shelled aquatic species AGENDA ITEM , ~ae;~ ATTAC1iME'~T B: PICTLRES OF :vIL'SSEL EFFECT'S WIP ATTACHMENT August 14, 200$ ~ 4 4 ~ , / r ~ F r- L~' I Ir r, r ^ ~ s r ,.I p { ~ X ~ ~ v 'L4yT~ 1 f . ~ F . , - ~ . ~ t;'~ ~ •.;i'. ~ 4Y.~1. i ~ ~ ~ RA , A ~t. ~ . 1 ~ t _ ',y. 1 ~ ~ ~ '-~.1. ly ~ Zebra cnenisted boat propellers AGENDA ITEM : ppVE ~ ~