FWP ramps up fight against invasive mussels

Since the detection of invasive mussels in the fall of 2016 in Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs, a new offshoot division of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been created to combat further spreading and to catch violators.  

FWP's statewide response to halting the spread of invasive mussels began mid-April, actions consisting mainly of mandatory checks for all boats leaving Tiber or Canyon Ferry reservoirs. Required inspections also increased to include checks of all watercraft vehicles entering Montana.

Over 15,000 watercraft have been inspected and nine mussel-fouled vessels have been intercepted this season so far, Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau Chief Thomas Woolf said Thursday. Woolf, who moved from Idaho into his position about a month ago, said it was the detection of the mussels in the mentioned reservoirs that brought him to Montana.

"Enforcement staff has stepped up," Woolf said, adding AISB has issued 40 citations, mostly for failure to stop at inspection stations, this season.

People have been fined, Woolf said, and many have received warnings, as many people don't know about the new requirements.

Thirty inspection stations are dispersed throughout the state, FWP announced in April. To find a station, people can visit http://www.musselresponse.mt.gov/Decontamination-Stations.

The bureau says that all watercraft owners must remember that all boats coming into the state must be inspected prior to launching. Additionally, all watercraft traveling across the Continental Divide into the Columbia River Basin must be inspected prior to launching. If a boater encounters an open watercraft inspection station, he or she is required to stop. This includes rafts, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

Mussels can attach to boats and aquatic plants carried by boats. An adult female zebra mussel can release up to a million eggs in a year.

The damage mussels can cause is manifold.

Mussels like zebra or quagga invade local waters can clog power plant and public water intakes and pipes, which would lead to increased water bills and costly municipal damages that would need repair.

The invasive species are also a nuisance for anglers and boaters. They can ruin equipment, clog motor cooling systems, foul hulls and jam centerboard wells under the sailboats.

Zebra and quagga mussels, native to the Black and Caspian seas, harm native aquatic life.  

Boaters are asked to clean, drain and dry their boats.

Remove plants, animals and mud, and wash everything, especially crevices and other hidden areas. Mussels are microscopic and adult capable of getting up to 2 inches long. Drain all water before leaving the area, including wells, ballast and engine cooling water. And allow enough time for boats to dry before launching in other waters.