Officials with the New Mexico Game and Fish Department say they've been successful in keeping invasive mussels out of the state's reservoirs and waterways.
The department says four boat inspectors were added at checkpoints at Ute and Navajo lakes, and almost 9,000 watercraft inspections were conducted this summer.
Officials say several boats that were inspected had recently been in out-of-state lakes known to be contaminated by the mussels. One boat with adult mussels was intercepted and decontaminated before being launched.
Testing for aquatic invasive species will continue through the fall, and officials say an updated education and awareness campaign is planned for this spring.
Zebra and quagga mussels multiply rapidly and can clog water intake and delivery pipes used to supply drinking water, irrigation to farmlands or water for hydroelectric power stations.
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