Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on delisting Canyon Ferry Reservoir as an invasive species management area.  Following three years of no invasive mussel detection, regional guidelines allow for the delisting of a suspect waterbody and the removal of the mandatory exit inspection requirements. 

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on making the mandatory inspection before launch rule for the Flathead Basin permanent. The rule is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2020. Removing the expiration date will allow the rule to continue indefinitely.

Montana’s watercraft inspection stations set another record for boats inspected in 2019.  More than 112,00 watercraft have been inspected so far this year, surpassing last year’s number by 3,000 inspections. Inspectors have intercepted 16 boats with invasive mussels coming into the state.

Hunters who use boats to access waterfowl or big game hunting areas can help prevent aquatic invasive species from infesting Montana’s wetlands, rivers, and lakes. 

Montana’s watercraft inspection stations are closing for the season, but boaters can still obtain an inspection at FWP regional and area offices.

Late-season anglers and hunters utilizing boats for waterfowl or big game hunting need to follow the principles of clean, drain, dry to help protect our waters from invasive aquatic weeds, animals and diseases.

A boat from Chicago bound for Seattle was quarantined and decontaminated at the Ravalli watercraft inspection station operated by the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).

Montana’s boating season is slowing down, and with the decrease in boating traffic some watercraft inspection stations are reducing hours or closing for the season.

So far, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and its partner agencies have conducted more than 52,000 watercraft inspections – with more than 7,000 of those happening over the Fourth of July weekend. To date, 13 vessels with zebra or quagga mussels have been intercepted.

The summer boating season in Montana has begun, and more than 24,000 watercraft have already been inspected at aquatic invasive species inspection stations around the state. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and partner organizations operate more than 30 watercraft inspections stations to ensure boats launching on Montana waters are free of aquatic invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels.

Boat owners transporting watercraft with ballast tanks or bladders will undergo additional cleaning at watercraft inspection stations to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.