HELENA – As of July 30, here is the latest news from AIS inspection stations from around the state:
Over 63,000 watercraft have been inspected so far this season.
Twenty-three mussel-fouled boats have been intercepted so far this season.
The most recent intercept was a pontoon boat out of Texas heading to Kalispell. It was intercepted by the Dillon station, which is operated by Beaverhead Conservation District. Inspectors decontaminated the boat and locked the boat to the trailer to ensure it did not launch in the state.
Over 600 AIS early detection samples have been collected and analyzed with no invasive mussels detected.
No new populations of invasive aquatic weeds, snails or crayfish have been found in Montana so far this season.
Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) eradication projects continue on Beaver Lake (Whitefish) and Nilan Reservoir (Augusta). Ten plants were found and removed at Beaver Lake so far this season and no EWM was found in Nilan Reservoir.
In addition to invasive mussels that can hitch a ride on watercraft, other invasive species can be introduced through a practice called “bucket biology.” To watch a video, click here.
This content is sourced from
Montana Fish Wildlife parks
. It reflects the author's views and has not been edited by our newsroom. It may have been generated using AI assistance.
