BOISE - The state is worried about some unwanted visitors this holiday weekend.

The state is setting up checkpoints at area waterways looking for mussels to make sure they don't get a free ride into our ecosystem.

"We have not seen a mussel yet," said Kimberly Price, a Department of Agriculture inspector. "So, our waters are still protected.

Price was in Marsing Thursday - one of 15 checkpoints throughout the state to make sure the stowaway mussels carried in by boats and other watercraft don't affect the waterways.

Some examples of the mussels are Quagga and Zebra muscles, which have already invaded waters in California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona and Utah. State officials say the aquatic hitchhikers destroy ecosystems, clog pipes and could contaminate Idaho's pristine lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

"We are out here to protect our waters and protect you as citizens," Price said.