Quagga Mussels infesting an Idaho license plate.(Sen. Michelle Stennett
/ Jeremy J. Gugino)

The confirmation of quagga mussel larvae in the Snake River last week is a discovery that's long been dreaded for the Pacific Northwest. By last Tuesday, the popular waterfront park in the Snake River Canyon was shut down and nearby lakes and river access points were closed to recreationists with boats, kayaks, paddle boards and canoes.

Adult quagga mussels are smaller than a human thumbnail. A single female can produce more than one million eggs in a year. Within a month of hatching, they latch onto surfaces, quickly coating and clogging irrigation pipes, drinking water intakes and hydropower equipment.

Boise State Public Radio's Rachel Cohen reports on the possible implications for the region.