FWP: Will take everyone to stop spread of mussels

Montana's Fish, Wildlife and Parks had a consistent message during a meeting in Havre about efforts to stop the spread of invasive mussels in the state: It will take more than efforts by state agencies to stop it.

"It's up to all of us to take that step," FWP Regional Supervisor Gary Burtolotti said during Wednesday's meeting at The Great Northern Inn.

The state has implemented a disaster plan to stop the spread of invasive mussels - FWP Region 6 Fisheries Manager Steve Dalbey said they do not yet know whether the invaders are zebra or quagga mussels or both - after they were confirmed in Lake Elwell at Tiber Dam south of Chester and suspected at Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Helena.

The state temporarily stopped all boating in both bodies of water while it worked on formulating a plan to stop the spread of the mussels.

Dalbey said the larvae of the mussels can't be seen - they are the size of a dust mote - but when the creatures grow and start creating shells, the impact is unimaginable.

The Mussels crust on boats, water pipes, water intakes, anything on which they can grow.

He said an Idaho study showed the cost of operating with full infestations of the mussels would cost $174 million a year.

The state has allowed boating to resume at Elwell and Canyon Ferry, but with new restrictions - any boat not deemed a Local Boater has to be decontaminated before it leaves - and with increased staffing and regulation throughout the state.

Both Burtolotti and Dalbey repeatedly told the 30-some people at the meeting that the problem is water - moving any water with the larvae from one body to another will let them start growing in the next.

A major problem is that, while some creatures will eat the mussels, they have no natural predators here to stop their growth.

"That's why they're invasive," Dalbey said.

Water at 140 degrees fahrenheit will kill the larvae, and decontamination stations at the two lakes will use high-pressure heated water to stop their spread.

Every boat except boats designated local boater - meaning the owner will only use it in either Elwell or Canyon Ferry - will have to be decontaminated after leaving the lakes.

So will any boat coming into the state from out-of-state or across the Continental Divide, Burtolotti said.

A key, they said, is Clean, Drain and Dry, something people will be seeing throughout the state. People must clean their boats, drain them and dry them - while the adults can live for a while out of water, the larvae will die if they do not have water.

Dalbey said chemicals can kill the larvae, such as bleach, but it also damages the materials being cleaned.

Everyone, at every body of water, needs to practice clean, drain and dry, as they always have, Dalbey and Burtolotti said.

Burtolotti said the people doing the decontamination are trained and experienced - FWP inspected 13,000 boats that came in from out-of-state last year - and know what to do and how to do it.

He also said that anyone who sees a boat with signs it might be infected or that leaves without following the proper procedure should be reported to FWP's TIP MONT hotline at 800-847-6668.

FWP game warden Sgt. Shane Reno said law enforcement will be enforcing the rules and tracking down violators.

"We're not going to chase you 100 miles down the highway - we'll wait till you get home," he said. "It's that important."

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Online: Montana Mussel Response: http://musselresponse.mt.gov.