CPW’s Aquatic nuisance species roadside inspection program to become full-time after two successful pilot years

Rachael Gonzales
Northwest Region Public Information Officer
970-773-8587 / [email protected]
Twitter: @CPW_NW CPW’s Aquatic nuisance species roadside inspection program to become full-time after two successful pilot years

DENVER, Colo. - Colorado Parks and Wildlife will begin operating two aquatic nuisance species (ANS) watercraft inspection and decontamination stations at the Colorado State Patrol Loma and Trinidad Ports Of Entry on Thursday, March 14. These two check stations are the first to open and operate during the boating season as full-time seasonal roadside inspection stations after two years of a successful pilot program. 

Starting March 14 through Oct. 31, any vehicle with a motorized or trailered watercraft entering the state on I-70 east from Utah (Loma Port Of Entry) or I-25 north from New Mexico (Trinidad Port Of Entry) will be required to stop for an inspection Thursday - Monday. Watercraft that are clean, drained and dry will be provided a green seal and white inspection receipt showing they passed inspection. Watercraft that are found to have mud, water, plants or mussels will be decontaminated. All trailered and motorized watercraft will still be required to go through an ANS inspection at their final destination. Those with a green seal and white receipt from Port of Entry check stations will be expedited.

“Inspecting the highest risk watercraft at ports of entry will serve as a first line of defense and help ensure Colorado's lakes and reservoirs remain free of highly destructive aquatic nuisance species,” said Robert Walters, CPW Invasive Species Program Manager. “The last two years and where we take this program into the future could not have been done without our partners at Colorado State Patrol Port of Entry staff and the Colorado Department of Transportation, and we are looking forward to partnering with them again to protect Colorado’s bodies of water.”

“We are excited to see this program that helps to protect Colorado's recreational and economic interests through our highly visited lakes, reservoirs and rivers continue,” said Yulonda Winterberg, Deputy Director of the Colorado State Patrol Port of Entry. “We appreciate this opportunity to partner with Colorado Parks and Wildlife in such a meaningful way.”

After the passage of House Bill 21-1226 which provided authority for the pilot program, CPW launched the pilot program in 2022 with three separate roadside watercraft inspection and decontamination events at the Loma Port Of Entry, west of Grand Junction. CPW staff inspected a total of 95 watercraft at check stations that were open for one day each in May, July, and September. Of those watercraft, 60 were decontaminated and 26 were confirmed to have adult mussels.

After a successful first year, CPW expanded the program in 2023 to operate nine watercraft inspection and decontamination stations at multiple ports of entry and welcome centers across Colorado. ANS staff inspected 21 watercraft, two of which were found to have adult mussels. 

“While we did not see the number of watercraft during the 2023 operations, we still prevented two boats with mussels from entering Colorado waters and gained a better understanding of motorized boat travel into the state,” said Walters.

Based on the information gathered in 2022 and 2023, CPW determined that the Loma and Trinidad Ports Of Entry would be the highest impact locations for the next phase of the program, as they saw the highest number of high-risk out-of-state motorized boats. 

To help expedite the inspection process and minimize impacts to their travel, CPW encourages boaters to plan ahead and ensure their watercraft are clean, drained, and dry prior to arrival at the station. Watercraft found to have mud, plants, water or mussels during inspection will be subject to decontamination.

In Colorado, inspections for aquatic nuisance species are mandatory on all motorized boats. Any motorboat and sailboat entering Colorado waters must have an ANS Stamp prior to launching. To learn more or purchase an ANS Stamp, visit our website. 

MEDIA KIT:
The Google Drive Folder below contains several items that we hope will be helpful to you in preparing stories and educating the public about keeping harmful ANS invaders from outside of our state.

2023 Aquatic Nuisance Species Media Kit

The folder contains the following information:

• A variety of ANS photos and video including check stations, inspection and decontamination processes and invasive species
• 2023 ANS Fact Sheet
• ANS green seal program 
• State of Colorado Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan
• Variety of public information materials provided to boaters