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Week of November 3, 2022
ADAMS & JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
WestminsterWindow.com
VOLUME 78 | ISSUE 2
Invasive mussels have ‘infested’ Colorado lake Other waters can be contaminated by destructive species first found on Sept. 14 BY TATIANA FLOWERS THE COLORADO SUN
Invasive zebra mussels have “infested” the water at Colorado’s Highline Lake — a reservoir north
of Loma, near Utah — despite a 15-year effort by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to keep the state free of the harmful species, the agency said this week. CPW staff have discovered at least 10 zebra mussels in Highline Lake. After the first adult zebra mussel was found in the reservoir Sept. 14, Parks and Wildlife staff found almost a dozen more of the mussels in the same body of water on Oct. 21 and 22. Soon after, the department changed the status of the lake from “suspect” to “infested,” according to
a news release sent Oct. 25. The new infestation could lead to millions of dollars in damage to water-based infrastructure, and threatens to impact water quality and limit recreational opportunity. A single mussel can produce up to 1 million babies in a single year, officials said, making it challenging to contain the species, and nearly impossible to eradicate them once they’re introduced. The aquatic nuisances attach to solid or semi-solid surfaces and clog up boat engines or distribution
Ralston Valley sophomore Cooper Hineline (19) and Northglenn junior Daniel Cisneros (9) battle for the ball during the Class 5A first-round playoff game Oct. 26 at the North Area Athletic Complex. Hineline had a first-half hat-trick as the Mustangs PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS cruised to a 6-0 victory. Story on page 26.
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 26
pipes at water treatment facilities. If knocked off, the mussels can drop into and infest a body of water. The mussels can live outside of water for 27 days under the right conditions, and can pass almost a liter of water through their shells each day, consuming nutrients needed by other fish and plants in the ecosystem. Their high levels of filter feeding can also alter food sources in lakes and reservoirs. And when mussels SEE MUSSELS, P6
Some local businesses hope liquor license ballot measure fails BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Mollie Stephans walked into Westminster’s Pecos Liquors for the first time to pitch Loveland Aleworks’ newest beer. The answer she got was promising. “We’ll be in touch,” said Jazz Singh, the owner of the store since 2018. Stephans is one of the small brewery’s 10 employees. She makes sales calls to local liquor stores up and down the Front Range, asking that they put Aleworks’ beer on shelves. The personal touch is what makes the company unique, she said. But the owners the Aleworks said that may need to change if voters approve Proposition 124 in the upcoming election. The ballot initiative will increase the number of retail liquor store licenses an individual may own. The SEE BALLOT, P2
SOCIAL EXPLOSION
Monitoring Chile’s Estallido Social from Colorado
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