After Quagga We Could See Rules Relaxed on the Snake River

Centennial Park in Twin Falls was already a crowded place.  It’s busy year-round, especially in summer.  You can look out across the Snake River some days and see boats stretching from side to side.  The running joke is that you could walk across the river over the tops of boats, paddle boards, and kayaks.  Because of last fall's discovery of quagga mussels, water access is now backed up even more than in previous years.  While we await to find out if the removal of the mussels worked, boats need to be washed with hot water before launch.  The goal is to remove any mussels.  Nobody wants to experience again what happened last year.

It’s an inconvenience for boaters and could impact the lucrative tourist trade on the river.

Local county commissioners have requested a meeting with the Idaho Department of Agriculture.  The goal is to find a more efficient method for clearing watercraft and lowering the blood pressure of a waiting public.

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Of course, none of this will be an issue if new mussels are discovered as the river temperature warms.

Then we’re back to closures and another treatment to limit spread.

Remember, if the mussels spread downriver, the entire Snake and Columbia River systems are threatened.  That includes generation of cheap hydroelectric power.  Billions of dollars are at stake for ratepayers and taxpayers.  In every city and town along the rivers, the costs would be astronomical.

For all the naysayers who can’t wait for a hot wash, ask if you prefer the alternative.

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