By Mike Cuffe
Shortly after watercraft inspections were set up in March, the first solid hit came on a pontoon boat purchased in North Dakota and headed into Washington State. Past records show that snowbird boaters returning from Lake Havasu, Lake Powell and Lake Mead may be bringing mussels home.
All boats entering Montana must be inspected before being launched. “Clean, Drain, Dry” is the motto. Some say, don’t move a mussel!
One Montana legislator is considering a $10,000 penalty plus impoundment of boat and trailer for violators.
“Only a few states are free of mussel contamination, including Montana. Our aim is to keep Montana waters free of mussels. But the noose is drawing tighter. Veligers, the tiny larvae life stage, and mussel shells were found in the Snake River near Boise, Idaho, as well as in South Dakota border near Montana, and in Northwest Colorado only a few travel hours away. North Dakota and Manitoba have had them for years.” said Tom Woolf, Montana’s chief prevention officer for Aquatic Invasive Species AIS.
Education and prevention are key, he said. We need the public to help us. Once an infestation of adult mussel shells is found, they are difficult or impossible to eradicate. We are waiting to see if the aggressive efforts on the Snake River are successful. Montana had a scare in 2016-17 when some veligers were found in Tibor Reservoir and Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Vigilant monitoring failed to find a population of shells.
Each mature mussel shell will spawn a million veligers per year, so the growth can be rapid. They originated in the Black Sea, came to the Great Lakes in ballast water when the Iron Curtain was lifted, and rapidly spread across most states. These massive shell clusters starve out other aquatic life, cut bare feet, and cost millions to clean from water treatment facilities and dams.
“My troops are manning watercraft stations all around the state. Please cooperate with them, and be sure to stop as required at inspection stations.,” Woolf said. “Also, if any retirees are interested in fulfilling work to help protect our state, check into inspector jobs near you.” Extra50Plus
