Colorado Wildlife Commission Chairman Tom Burke likely wrapped up his eight-year tenure with his final gavel ending Thursday’s meeting. In his customary style, he deftly and courteously handled the controversial petition seeking a ban on the recreational shooting of prairie dogs, shot a few well-aimed arrows at fellow commissioners and kept the meeting as orderly as any commission meeting can be.

Burke is term-limited but his replacement hasn’t yet been determined, said Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Harris Sherman.

“We’re going to miss you greatly,” Sherman told Burke at Thursday’s meeting. “You’ve done a wonderful job as commission chairman.”

Sherman did say that “something will be announced by June 1” concerning Burke’s replacement.

“It’s been a great time and I still love doing this and will stay as long as they want me but I’m ready to move on,” Burke said recently.

Among the topics he listened to was Sherman’s announcement that Denver Water, concerned about potential threats from zebra mussels, has threatened to shut off recreational boating at some of its lakes and reservoirs.

Denver Water is worried that zebra mussels, with their amazing reproductive rates, could block intake tubes and pipes in the complex system that delivers water to nearly one-quarter of all Coloradans.

Zebra mussels haven’t yet become established in Colorado but the concern is palpable among water and wildlife managers that it’s not a matter of if, but rather when.

The state is developing an Aquatic Nuisance Species plan to deal with mussels and other exotic invasives, but among the questions yet to be answered is who pays for the program in the interim.

Unfortunately, entities such as Denver Water, which owns such popular boating destinations as Dillon, Eleven Mile, Chatfield and Antero reservoirs, are looking to the Division of Wildlife to pay the cost, Sherman said.

“There’s a troubling reliance on cash funds to pay for the ANS program,” Sherman said. Cash funds are monies the DOW receives from license sales and make up about 80 percent of the DOW’s budget.

Sherman said a conference with Denver Water is set for this week to explain the state’s plan and to assure the utility that the threat is being addressed.

Once the state has an ANS plan, Colorado becomes eligible for federal funding, said DOW Director Tom Remington. Senate Bill 226 establishes a $7.2 million fund out of the state’s severance tax monies for DOW and Parks ANS programs but that money isn’t available until July 1. As Remington pointed out, the problem is now.

“The problem is what do we do until July 1,” he told the commission. “The zebra mussel threat is here today.”

The wildlife commission gave $160,000 of its discretionary funding to the DOW to help pay for early ANS projects.

Remington said most attention for now will be given to “heavy containment” at Pueblo Reservoir, where some zebra mussels were spotted earlier this spring. Additionally, the state will begin a widespread education effort.

“I don’t think most boaters know of this threat,” he said.

Colorado already has ordered some of the hot-wash units that use scalding water to kill and remove zebra mussels from boats, but where they’ll be stationed hasn’t yet been decided. The National Park Service already has wash units at Blue Mesa Reservoir.

A recent story in The Daily Sentinel on the zebra mussel prevention program at Lake Powell was remiss in hinting the boat washes are free. Previously they were, but the high cost of the units, some up to $100,000, and the increase in demand for the service have forced park concessionaires Aramark and Antelope Point Marina to charge, said Max King of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The washes cost $60 per hour but the cost per boat normally is much less since a 25-foot boat usually takes only 15-20 minutes.

“We have found that most boaters don’t object to this fee because they know it will help protect the lake,” King said.

Gunnison feeding program ends after 130 days

The state spent about $1 million outright plus an undetermined amount (estimated to go at least $700,000) in the emergency feeding programs in southwest Colorado this winter, Southwest Regional Manager Tom Spezze told the commission.

That included the 130-day program around Gunnison as well as shorter feeding projects near Lake City and Creede.

The Gunnison feeding began Jan. 8 and wrapped up April 25, Spezze said, and at the peak, the DOW and volunteers were feeding 9,400 deer, 3,400 elk and 450 pronghorn a day at 131 different feeding sites.

“We had 25 full-time DOW employees on the project plus another 125 that rotated in and out,” Spezze said. “Also, we had 200 volunteers donate 4,000 hours of their own time to help us, and we couldn’t have done it without those volunteers.”

He said about 60-80 of the “core volunteers” were out feeding every one of the 130 days.

“They were dragging themselves out there in the worst weather, it got to be a long job,” he said. “The romance wore off pretty quickly.”

He said the Gunnison County Electric Association put the winter’s snowfall at 100.2 inches, the third-snowiest recorded in Gunnison. The heaviest was 1915-16 with 101.3 inches, with 1955-56 the second snowiest at 100.3.

The DOW still has closures on public lands in the Gunnison until May 15 prohibiting the collection of shed antlers.

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E-mail Dave Buchanan at dbuchanan@gjds.com.