Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) says the first mussel-infested boat of watercraft inspection season was stopped at the Anaconda inspection station on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
FWP said in a news release the mussels were found on a pontoon boat traveling from North Dakota to Washington.
Inspectors found mussels along the hull, throughout the lifting strakes, and on the transom and gimbal areas of the boat.
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FWP said in a social media post:
Fortunately, given the cold weather, no live mussels were found, but our team went ahead and fully decontaminated the boat, locked it to the trailer, and notified Idaho and Washington. While it's certainly an unwanted sight, it gives our inspectors extra motivation to brave the cold weather and continue to protect the Columbia River Basin from invasive mussels.
FWP noted that all motorized and non-motorized watercraft entering Montana from out of state must be inspected, and all watercraft must be drained of all water before being transported.
You can get more information at FWP's aquatic invasive species website, or by calling the FWP Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau at 406-444-2440.
