Boaters can help stop spread of invasive species
Water enthusiasts’ actions can help protect Colorado River
Living on the Colorado River comes with a certain amount of responsibility.
People and businesses alike need to be good stewards of the water way by keeping contaminants and pollutants out of the river.
Boaters and river enthusiasts can go a step further, and help prevent the spread of invasive species.
Longtime boaters likely are aware of one species, the quagga mussel, which has been found from Lake Powell down to at least Lake Havasu, according to the National Park Service.
The park service notes that these mussels compete with and endanger native specie. They also clog pipes and treatment plants. The mussels can also damage boats.
Preventing the spread of this mussel is relatively easy for boaters. The park service says to “clean, drain and dry” any vessels, which will help prevent the spread of this invasive species.
Boaters have been dealing with mussels for several years, and most boaters follow the practice of cleaning and draining their boats on our stretch of the river. Another dangerous species is the apple snail. According to a recent report by Cronkite News Service, apple snails are threatening the state’s rivers and lakes, and have been found in the Colorado River near Yuma.
Arizona Game & Fish officials note that apple snails will eat vegetation, native snails and eggs. They also can carry the rat lungworm nematode, which can cause meningitis in humans.
Apple snails have few predators, so they can be hard to eradicate. And that’s where boaters and river enthusiasts come into the picture.
According to the Arizona Republic, apple snails lay bright pink egg clusters on reeds and toolies. Researchers told the Republic that if you see these bright pink clusters, to knock them into the water, which will help curb the population. Or give Arizona Game and Fish a call, and let them know where you spotted the clusters.
Keeping the river safe and clean requires action on a variety of fronts. But together, Yumans can be a force to protect our waterway.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT?
In an age that prioritizes pragmatism over wisdom, the temporal over the eternal, utility over beauty, the existence and use of the plastic bag is a symptom of the flawed character of American society writ large. A seemingly innocuous part of many if not most commercial transactions, the long-term consequences of the useone-time-then-dispose-of mentality (which is a bigger problem than the mere use of plastic bags) is neither sustainable nor desirable.
Suppose we were to make the use of plastic bags not an option for some (Americans), but an obligation for all (the whole world) 8 billion human beings making and using products whose shelf life is the 20 minute car ride back home. The environmental consequences would be evidently cataclysmic. Of course, not everyone consumes in the same way as Americans do, so it feels like less of a big deal. Nevertheless, the fact that we are all too ready to carve out an exception for ourselves to a practice that would be highly unethical if everyone participated, is a sign of moral failing.
Furthermore, such a disposal-oriented mindset is itself an artifact of the tremendous material wealth and privilege of America. Most people around the world do not have the luxury of making or buying things that will end up rotting for generations in a landfill. Such prosperity should cause us to be extremely grateful, as well as all the more careful to avoid using such privileges in absent-minded and short-sighted ways that cause real harm.
Finally, certain opportunities for virtue are de-emphasized in the disposal regime. Qualities such as thrift, resourcefulness and moderation require persons to plan past their short-term interests based on their felt needs, which the disposal mindset subverts. Yes, it may be easier to use this plastic bag right now, or purchase the one-time use table cloth, but such decisions over time accumulate and produce habits of mind that can trickle over into other relationships, such as marriages, families and friendships. We fail to cultivate such virtues at our own peril.
Yes, the UN ‘Small Arms Treaty’ is designed for disarming civilians. That includes any nation, including the USA, (which is the prime target) that signs and ratifies the treaty. Obama signed the treaty, the U.S. Senate has not ratified it. We need to ask President Trump to UNSIGN the UN ‘Small Arms Treaty’ so it can’t even be considered by the Senate. It seems like all men and women in America who care about their right to keep and bear arms would make the tiny effort to contact the president on this issue. President Trump can be phoned during business hours on weekdays at (202-456-1111 or 202456-1414). If President Trump sings this treaty according to Senator Rand Paul all guns will have a chip in them and set up for GPS monitoring to keep track of them and know just where they are and who has them. If you value our freedom then just make a short phone call at these numbers and say no to the ‘Small Arms Treaty.’ You may have to wait a few minutes as the lines are busy but have a little patience. This needs to be stopped. Thank you.
Why should an expelled politician “accused and found guilty of sexual misconduct” receive any special treatment different than a “non-politician” accused of the same crime?
The incident above was not Don Shooter’s first run-in with the law. Not too long ago, he showed his authority of being above the law at his grandchild’s school.
Yes, one can forgive and forget as stated. However, the editor of this article may feel different in regard to “forgive and forget” if the victim was his or her child. The last time I checked, I found that “no one is above the laws of this great country.”