Zebra and quagga mussels aren't going away anytime soon, and neither are boat inspections for the aquatic nuisance species in Colorado.

Last week, the Colorado State Parks Board, in collaboration with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, water providers, numerous local, state and federal administrative agencies and private boating interests approved uniform new standards for inspections and potential mandatory decontamination procedures.

"We kind of wanted to cement it in peoples' minds and have broader acceptance statewide," said Greg Gerlich, aquatic section manager for the DOW. "The goal was to have as many organizations as possible adopt the same standards and procedures."

The new regulations will go into effect April 1. An expanded procedure will establish tougher training standards for the certification of inspectors at reservoirs managed by various administrative agencies. The new regulations also authorize law-enforcement officers to impound contaminated boats if the owner won't allow decontamination, which consists of cleaning the craft with hot, pressurized water.

In a change from last year, certified inspections also will be available at certain marinas, boat dealerships and other private enterprises.

For example, a trailered boat could be taken to a local dealership, inspected and tagged if negative. It then could be launched without the need for a potentially time-consuming wait in line at a reservoir for another inspection. Upon leaving a mussel- free body of water, the boat could be retagged and be ready for launching the next time.

Inspections at agency-

managed facilities are free, while private businesses conceivably could charge a fee.

Boats entering Colorado from other states, including Colorado boats returning from other states, require inspection before they can be launched here. Inspection and decontamination stations will be available at many locations, including state parks, DOW offices, contaminated waters and other reservoirs.

All boats at Pueblo Reservoir, which has tested positive for zebra mussels, must be inspected before leaving the reservoir. The new regulations also require boaters leaving any other positive waters to be inspected before launching elsewhere.

Administrative agencies such as Aurora and Westminster may have additional requirements on reservoirs they oversee.

The new regulations limit mandatory inspections to trailered watercraft because they represent the greatest potential for transporting the nuisance species. Kayaks, canoes and rafts are not considered high-risk, according to Rob Billerbeck, manager of biological programs for Colorado State Parks.

Zebra and quagga mussels appeared in the Great Lakes in the 1980s and have spread across the Midwest and Eastern states. They create major problems for water-distribution systems. No effective way of stopping their spread is known.

Zebra mussels were discovered in Pueblo Reservoir in early 2008. Subsequently, zebra and quagga mussels were found in six other Colorado reservoirs.

Inspection stations were established last year at 24 state parks and other reservoirs. About 140,000 boats were inspected and at least 79 were decontaminated. Adult mussels were found on two out-of-state boats.

LIMITED LICENSES: Big-game hunting regulations booklets, including application forms for 2009 limited licenses, have been mailed to everyone who applied for such a license last year.

The booklets are also available at Colorado Division of Wildlife offices and traditional license outlets, or online at wildlife.State.CO.US/RulesRegs/RegulationsBrochures/Big Game.htm.

The application deadline is April 7.

DOW officials have been conducting post-hunt inventories of game herds and making computer models of populations. Complete hunter-harvest statistics from last fall are expected in early March. Biologists will analyze the data, and after a series of reviews, the DOW will present recommendations for license allocations to the Colorado Wildlife Commission, which will set the final numbers for available limited licenses at its May meeting.