For most of us in Eagle County, the phrase “zebra infestation” sounds like the setup for a bad safari movie. Unfortunately, the reality is much less entertaining. The problem (obviously) isn’t zebras. It’s zebra mussels. These are tiny invasive shellfish no bigger than your thumbnail, and they may become one of the most consequential environmental and economic threats facing the Colorado River system and the communities that depend on it.

That might sound dramatic. It isn’t.

Last year, adult zebra mussels were confirmed in the Colorado River, and the river is now considered infested downstream from the Eagle River confluence toward Utah. That’s uncomfortably close to home. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has already had to treat a privately owned water body in Eagle County connected to the river system to contain the spread.

For a region that depends on healthy rivers for tourism, agriculture, and drinking water, this isn’t just an environmental nuisance. It’s a flashing warning light.

Zebra mussels are originally from eastern Europe and arrived in North America decades ago through ballast water in ships entering the Great Lakes. Since then, they’ve spread relentlessly through waterways across the country. Their superpower is reproduction: a single female can produce up to a million eggs in a spawning season. Once established, they attach to nearly any surface: pipes, docks, dams, irrigation systems, and municipal water infrastructure.

The result is predictable and expensive. Water intake systems clog. Infrastructure requires constant cleaning. Utilities and irrigation districts are forced to install new filtration systems and monitoring equipment. Across the country, communities have spent hundreds of millions of dollars managing zebra mussel infestations. For the Colorado River Basin (already under pressure from drought, population growth, and climate change) the stakes are higher.

The environmental damage often arrives before the economic one. Zebra mussels are aggressive filter feeders. They consume phytoplankton, the microscopic organisms at the base of aquatic food chains. When those nutrients disappear, native fish and insects lose a critical food source. The ripple effects move quickly through the ecosystem.

For a place like Eagle County, where healthy rivers sustain trout populations and world-class fisheries, that’s not an abstract concern. The outdoor recreation economy depends on vibrant waterways. Fly fishing guides, rafting companies, outfitters, and countless others all rely on the health of these rivers. A compromised river system doesn’t just hurt fish. It threatens our local economy and the quality of life that draws people to the mountains.

The story of zebra mussels isn’t just about science or the economy. It’s about people. These invasive species spread primarily by hitchhiking: boats, paddleboards, waders, anchors, fishing gear - anything that touches the water can carry microscopic larvae to the next waterway. Sometimes it takes no more than a small amount of water trapped in a bilge or folded in a life jacket.

That’s why Colorado Parks and Wildlife launched its “Clean, Drain, Dry” campaign, urging everyone who recreates on the water to take three simple steps before leaving a boat ramp or trailhead: clean equipment, drain standing water, and let gear dry thoroughly before using it elsewhere.

It sounds simple, and it is. But it’s also essential. Once zebra mussels establish themselves in a river system, eradication is extraordinarily difficult. Prevention is the only strategy that truly works.

Eagle County’s rivers shape our landscapes, fuel our economy, and anchor our sense of place. Protecting them requires vigilance from scientists, water managers, local governments, and everyday residents. The good news is we still have an opportunity to slow the spread and limit the damage. The challenge is that success depends on everyone doing their part. The smallest threat to our rivers may also be the easiest to prevent.Bottom of Form

Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership, 3-time national chamber of the year. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com