ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is a 336-mile aqueduct system that annually transports over 1.5 million acre-ft of Colorado River water to the central and southern portions of Arizona, including the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. In 2008, the CAP became infested with the invasivequagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis), which was ‘rst found in Lake Mead the previous year. Amonitoringprogram was implemented in 2009 to determine the distribution of the invasive mussel within the CAP, identify environmental factors that may limit its success, and to help assess the risk of infestation at critical pumping plants along the system. Early results indicated that water temperature was the main environmental factor that limited the survival of veligers and settlement of adults; however, more recent data suggest that the limiting factors are much more complex. After 5 years in the system, quagga musselshave become established throughout the entire CAP and have the potential to negatively impact this vital water delivery system.
