Tag Archives: aquatic invasive species

Interim closure issued for all boating within Glacier National Park

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Zebra mussels
Zebra mussels – via Wikipedia

For the first time, invasive mussel larvae have been detected in Montana waters. In response, Glacier Park has immediately shut down boating in the park while they double check everything.

Here’s the meat of the official press release . . .

In response to the recent detection of invasive mussel populations in central Montana, Glacier National Park is issuing an interim boating closure within all park waters, in accordance with the park’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Action Plan. The closure includes both motorized and hand propelled watercraft.

The 2014 plan calls for this immediate closure when invasive mussels are detected within a waterway in the State of Montana, as was announced on November 9 by Montana Fish Wildlife, and Parks.

The park will begin an assessment period to conduct testing, inspect park boats, and evaluate the risk boats pose to park waters and waters downstream from the unintended introduction of invasive mussels. The assessment will likely include the evaluation of further tests of waters across the State of Montana during the summer of 2017. The closure will remain in place during the assessment period, which will extend until the nature of the threat is better understood.

“Park scientists will work diligently with the State of Montana and other water quality experts to understand the scope of this threat, and identify steps the park will take to further protect our waters in the Crown of the Continent,” said park superintendent Jeff Mow.

Glacier National Park sits at the top of three continental scale watersheds. Water from the park drains into the Columbia, Missouri, and South Saskatchewan Basins. Protecting park waters from an infestation is important not only for the park’s ecosystem, but also to economic and ecological interests downstream.

Beginning in 2011, the park initiated a mandatory boat inspection and launch permit program to reduce the risk of infestation of park waters by invasive mussels. Since that time, approximately 1,000 motorized boat permits were issued annually. The park also required self-inspection and AIS-free certification of non-motorized watercraft. These boats come from many states across the country, including those with established populations of invasive mussels.

In 2016, launch permits were issued to boats registered in 13 mussel positive states following inspection.

See also: Invasive Mussel Larvae Found in Montana Reservoir (Flathead Beacon)

Glacier Park’s aquatic invasive species prevention program continues

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Zebra mussels
Zebra mussels – via Wikipedia

From the official press release . . .

Glacier National Park continues its boat inspections and permit process for this summer as part of an ongoing aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention program. Westward expansion of zebra and quagga mussels, and other aquatic invasive species transported mainly on recreational watercraft, is driving regional water resource managers to ramp up existing AIS prevention strategies. Mussel infestations are increasing across the country, and present greater threats to park waters as more boats testing positive for mussels are intercepted in the northwest each year.

Invasive mussels are found on boats within Montana or passing through Montana on a regular basis. Eurasian watermilfoil and other invasive aquatic plants are also present in western Montana waterways, necessitating a high degree of vigilance to prevent spread.

A National Park Service inspection is required for all motorized and trailered watercraft. A self-certification permit is required for all non-trailered, hand-propelled watercraft. Park managers encourage all boaters to thoroughly clean, drain, and dry their watercraft and/or fishing equipment before coming to the park to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

“We realize that recreational boaters will face added time and inconvenience while recreating in Glacier National Park,” said Brian McKeon, supervisor for the AIS Inspection Program. “The consequences of Aquatic Invasive Species becoming established in park waters at the headwaters for the Columbia, Missouri and Hudson Bay watersheds are dire for aquatic ecosystems, recreational opportunities, and economic concerns downstream.” Continue reading Glacier Park’s aquatic invasive species prevention program continues →

First-year effort nets thousands of lake trout from Logging Lake

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Logging Lake in Glacier National Park, USA - National Park Service
Logging Lake in Glacier National Park, USA – National Park Service

Logging Lake is stuffed with invasive lake trout . . .

Glacier National Park’s Logging Lake is brimming with non-native lake trout, biologists have found. In 2015, biologists from the U.S. Geological survey netted 2,158 lake trout from the remote North Fork water.

“That’s a lot of fish,” Vin D’Angelo, fisheries biologist with the USGS said.

Initial netting last spring brought worries that the entire lake was full of lake trout and little else. They only caught 10 suckers, but hundreds of lake trout. The lake trout are killed and their air bladders are punctured so they sink back to the bottom of the lake, which avoids any conflict with bears and other scavengers.

But fall netting caught 864 suckers, D’Angelo noted. The idea isn’t to catch suckers, which are a bait fish, he noted, but at least biologists know they’re in the lake in healthy numbers. In fact, Logging Lake has turned out to be a fairly diverse body of water compared to other North Fork lakes. In addition to suckers species, it has a healthy population of westslope cutthroat trout, northern pike minnows and mountain whitefish. The lake trout don’t eat many cutts, because lake trout generally live in water that’s 50 to 70 feet deep, while cutts are a surface feeding fish.

Read more . . .

Aquatic invasive species an ongoing problem

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It’s that time of year when locals and tourists are out and about in large numbers, many of them in boats and rafts. This, in turn, makes the spread of aquatic invasive species a big concern. Here’s the official press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks . . .

This summer, remember that state law requires all motorists hauling watercraft – from trailers with motorboats or inflatable rafts to canoes and kayaks perched atop cars and pick-up trucks – to stop at inspection stations.

As part of the state’s aquatic invasive species prevention program, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has 17 well-marked watercraft inspection stations set up around the state that will be in operation through September.

The annual education and enforcement effort, which this year includes multiple chances to win prizes from an array of local sponsors, is to further curb the risk of aquatic invasive species from attaining a foothold in Montana waters.

“One of Montana’s best defenses against spreading invasive species while enjoying the outdoors is to inspect, clean, drain and dry boats, trailers, and fishing gear after each use,” said Tom Boos, FWP’s AIS coordinator in Helena. “We can control the spread of these invasive plant and animal species if we don’t carry them from one water to the next.”

Montana law requires private motorists and outfitters and guides hauling watercraft – including motorboats, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, rowboats, rafts, jet skis and even small kick boats popular among some anglers – to always stop at AIS watercraft inspection stations for a brief interview and equipment check. Most inspections take fewer than five minutes, but failure to stop could lead to a $135 fine.

Montana’s “Inspect – Clean – Dry” slogan draws attention to a national problem threatening to take root in the West – aquatic hitchhikers. These non-native, destructive, and highly prolific AIS include harmful aquatic plants, animals, fish, and microscopic organisms, which include everything from invasive zebra mussels to whirling disease.

AIS can be easily transported from water to water by popular recreational activities like fishing and boating.

“If boaters and anglers get into the ‘inspect, clean, drain and dry’ habit we’ll be able to decrease the number of troubling and expensive introductions of harmful species in Montana,” Boos said.

To learn more, visit FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov, then click “Inspect – Clean – Dry.”

Motorists hauling watercraft must stop at AIS inspection stations

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Montana really doesn’t want folks importing aquatic invasive species. From the official press release . . .

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials reminded private and commercial boaters yesterday that state law requires all motorists hauling watercraft—from trailers with motorboats or inflatable rafts to canoes and kayaks perched atop cars and pick-up trucks—to stop at inspection stations.

The annual education and enforcement effort, which this year includes multiple chances to win prizes from an array of local sponsors, is to further curb the risk of aquatic invasive species from attaining a foothold in Montana waters.

Seventeen well-marked inspection stations will again be in operation beginning Thursday, May 21 through September at key border crossings, along major highways, and on heavily used water bodies. Motorists who stop will have their equipment checked—and cleaned if needed—and get information on how to enter a raffle for prizes to be awarded throughout the boating season.

Montana law requires private motorists and outfitters and guides hauling watercraft—including motorboats, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, rowboats, rafts, jet skis and even small kick boats popular among some anglers—to always stop at AIS watercraft inspection stations for a brief interview and equipment check. Most inspections take fewer than five minutes but failure to stop could lead to a $135 fine.

Last year, nearly 35,000 watercraft were inspected at Montana’s roadside stations. A total of 54 motorboats and three non-motorized watercrafts were found to have been fouled by zebra mussels and other AIS contaminants and hundreds more contained standing water or noninvasive vegetation.

Read more . . .

Park biologists say they’re getting ahead of the lake trout problem in Quartz Lake

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Looks like Glacier Park is seeing success in eliminating non-native lake trout from Quartz Lake . . .

Since 2009, biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and Glacier National Park have been netting non-native lake trout from Quartz Lake to help preserve one of the Park’s last remaining strongholds for endangered bull trout. The effort, biologist Carter Fredenberg was pleased to report last week, appears to be working.

Last fall, biologists counted an historic high 66 bull trout redds in the upper stretches of drainage. Redds are spawning beds fish make in the stream bottoms. The more redds, the better the population is doing.

“That is extremely positive,” Fredenberg said during a public talk last week.

Read more . . .

Aquatic invasive species still a threat

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Zebra mussels
Zebra mussels – via Wikipedia

Montana FWP’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program is holding the line, but still worried about the introduction to the state of a number of aquatic invasive species . . .

The bad news is that inspection crews are turning up illegal live fish and nonnative species across Montana. The good news is no evidence of zebra mussels has yet been found.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park’s aquatic invasive species liaison, Linnaea Schroeer, reported this news in an annual message on FWP’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program.

FWP operated 20 seasonal watercraft inspection stations across the state, along with roving crews. More than 34,000 boats were inspected in 2014, and thousands of people were educated about the impacts of invasive species, she said.

Read more . . .

Glacier Park continues aquatic invasive species prevention program

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Glacier Park continues its aggressive efforts to prevent aquatic invasive species from infesting their waterways. Here’s the meat of the press release . . .

Glacier National Park continues its boat inspection and permit program this summer as part of an ongoing aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention program. Aquatic invasive species, including zebra and quagga mussels, continue to threaten park waterways. Recently established mussel populations in the southwest present new threats to park waters, as mussel-positive boats from that region have been intercepted in the northwest.

Motorized and trailered watercraft must have a thorough boat inspection by a park employee upon every entry to the park. A free permit is issued after the inspection, which may take up to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the boat. A boat may launch multiple times provided the boat does not leave the park between launches. To receive a permit, boats must be clean, drained and thoroughly dry (including bilge areas and livewells) upon inspection. Boats with internal ballast tanks or other enclosed compartments that exchange water with the environment and that cannot be readily cleaned, dried, and fully inspected are prohibited from launching in Glacier National Park.

Hand-propelled watercraft (canoes, kayaks, rowboats, rafts, catarafts) being launched within the park are required to obtain an AIS-free self-certification permit. The permit is free, completed by the boater, and is required upon each entry to the park. The permit must remain with boaters while they are floating. It is available at all park visitor centers, backcountry permit offices, park headquarters, and at maintained boat launches. Visitors can download the permit before entering the park at, http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/ais.htm.

Read more . . .

Preliminary results in for year’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program

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Montana FWP released early numbers for this year’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program . . .

Preliminary results from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Aquatic Invasive Species Program show that 17 stations across the state inspected 30,376 watercraft and 367 failed.

That included 26,224 in-state and 4,152 out-of-state watercraft as of Sept. 30. Most of FWP’s roadside inspection stations closed after Labor Day, but several stayed open a few weeks later.

The violations broke down to 234 watercraft with vegetation that wasn’t Eurasian milfoil, 79 with standing water, 37 with Eurasian milfoil, 13 with zebra or quagga mussels, 10 with marine organisms and six with illegal bait.

Read more . . .

More aggressive aquatic invasive species program taking shape

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Montana is getting ready to be much more aggressive in its fight against aquatic invasive species . . .

A revamped and more aggressive approach to prevent aquatic invasive species from proliferating in Montana has quietly been taking shape in Helena, but it soon will get a higher profile in the Legislature.

A draft bill has been the focus of a joint subcommittee on natural resources that would firmly establish Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as the lead agency in a boat inspection program and provide additional funding to carry out the overall mission of combating invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels as well as Eurasian watermilfoil. These species have wreaked expensive havoc in other states, most recently invading waters in the Southwest.

Mark Aagenes, conservation director for Montana Trout Unlimited, said the new approach came about as the result of meetings with a wide variety of conservation groups and state agencies. That led to proposals to Gov. Steve Bullock’s office and then to the subcommitee’s draft bill, Aagenes said.

Continue reading . . .