It would be difficult to overstate the importance of Lake Mead to our community's survival here in the desert. But experts gathered at UNLV Tuesday to put the significant challenges facing the lake into perspective. And one of those challenges can be placed on the very tip of your finger: the Quagga mussel.

"It's a huge economic impact to the whole lower Colorado River region, as well as going to emerge as an ecological impact," explains Kent Turner, National Park Service.

Ecological considerations guide the work of scientists at Nevada's Desert Research Institute, who are at the forefront of the fight to contain the invasive species. But their concerns aren't just about the environment.

"Economically, they are....a terrible thing for lake managers...and they are a nightmare," explains Dr. Kumud Acharya.

Quagga mussels may appear tiny to the naked eye, but they are a large concern for taxpayers' wallets. Since they arrived in local waters from the Great Lakes in 2007, the Quagga mussels have proved surprisingly resilient. Last year alone, the federal government spent over $1 billion trying to contain these creatures in the upper Midwest.

"When Quaggas were first found in Lake Mead, a lot of people thought that since the Lake Mead water temperature gets pretty high in the summer, the Quaggas won't do well," continues Dr. Acharya. "But then...the Quaggas proved everybody wrong."

Quagga mussels provide a tangible threat to aquatic life in lake waters - especially for fish. With their ability to reproduce at exponentially high rates and clog pipes, they'll almost certainly make life miserable for hydroelectric concerns in the lower Colorado River Valley.

And it won't stop there.

"They have come to Lake Mead from the Midwest. There is no reason to think they won't get to Tahoe."

The experts at Tuesday's conference hope to halt the mussel odyssey here in Southern Nevada. Unfortunately, it won't be an easy task.

The Lake Mead Science Symposium continues Wednesday at the UNLV Student Union and is open to the public. If you're interested in attending, visit the UNLV web site.