CPW resumes ANS sampling in Colorado River

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has begun aquatic nuisance species sampling efforts on the Colorado River for 2025. Shoreline and water sampling will be conducted weekly along sections of the Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and the Colorado/Utah border as part of increased sampling efforts after the discovery of zebra mussel veligers in the river in July 2024.

CPW ANS technicians will utilize different techniques to survey for invasive mussels, each targeting a different life stage of the species. Plankton tows use a fine mesh net to filter plankton from the water in slow-moving areas of the river. The filtered water samples are then sent to the ANS lab in Denver, where they are evaluated using cross-polarized light microscopy for the presence of mussel veligers.

PHOTO: Colorado River, Glenwood Canyon at Glenwood Canyons Resort, Colorado, USA. (iStock │ #1213547321 – SergeYatunin)