EBS STAFF
A mussel-fouled pontoon boat was intercepted on March 10 at the Anaconda watercraft inspection station, the first mussel-fouled watercraft of the year in Montana.
The pontoon boat was on its way from North Dakota toward Ephrata, Washington, according to a March 12 press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Mussels were discovered along the hull, transom and gimbal areas.
“Inspectors performed a full decontamination on site, and the boat was locked to the trailer. Previous launch information was unknown, but the new owner believed it had not been in the water since last summer,” the release stated.
All watercraft coming from outside state borders, motorized and non-motorized, must be drained of all water and inspected. Yellowstone National Park recently issued a news release about their efforts to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species into park waters.
“Watercraft inspection stations are Montana’s first line of defense to prevent the movement of aquatic invasive species (AIS) which can have devastating impacts on Montana waterways. Boaters must stop at all watercraft inspections stations they encounter,” the release stated. More information is available by contacting the FWP Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau at 406-444-2440.
