Idaho Power Co. will be part of a state-led effort to eradicate invasive quagga mussels from the Middle Snake River near Twin Falls.

Some of the invasive mussels were found in the river stretch in late September, and an approximately 15-day eradication effort is expected to start in mid-October, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced.

ISDA a year ago first found quagga mussels in the area. The department called on Idaho Power and other partners in the subsequent eradication.

Quagga and zebra mussels can cause serious damage to hydropower, irrigation and municipal water systems. Idaho Power owns Shoshone Falls and Twin Falls hydroelectric plants near where quaggas were detected last year and this year.

“Obviously we were disappointed that evidence of quagga mussels was found in the Snake River again, but we knew this was a possibility,” company spokesman Brad Bowlin told Capital Press. “Idaho Power stands ready to support the Idaho State Department of Agriculture in its response to this discovery.”

An ongoing infestation “could have significant consequences for Idaho Power and its customers,” he said. And the issue “could impact everyone in our region. Everyone who relies on the Snake River has a stake in this.”

As Idaho Power did in 2023, the company plans to coordinate with the State Department of Agriculture “and support their treatment plan,” Bowlin said Sept. 25. “We expect to be involved given the proximity to our hydroelectric power plants. It remains to be seen exactly what that will look like at this point, but we’ll work with ISDA director (Chanel) Tewalt and her staff as they put together those details.”

The department since last year’s post-detection eradication has continued to test the river stretch for mussels.

Idaho Power has coordinated with ISDA on its testing and worked with department staff “to continue educating the public on the importance of cleaning, draining and drying watercraft between trips, and getting boats inspected,” Bowlin said. Company social media and customer newsletter messages have reflected this.

For its own staff, Idaho Power this year held boat decontamination training, which the company documented in a video circulated publicly for educational purposes.

And the company installed decontamination equipment “to help with that process as an additional step to make sure we are doing everything we can do to prevent the potential spread of these mussels,” Bowlin said.