Mussel infested boat intercepted at watercraft check station in northeast Wyoming
CHEYENNE — A watercraft harboring live, invasive zebra mussels was intercepted on Sept. 22 at the northeast Wyoming border by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. This was the first watercraft with verified live mussels discovered at a Wyoming check station this year.
The compliant boater assisted Game and Fish by stopping for the inspection. Upon discovery of the mussels, inspectors at the Beulah aquatic invasive species check station immediately began decontamination of the watercraft. Inspectors removed live zebra mussels in multiple water intakes, along the pontoon and in other areas of the inspected boat. The watercraft had been moored for several months in South Dakota’s Pactola Reservoir, where a population of mussels was discovered in 2022.
The findings of the mussel-fouled watercraft is a stark example of the importance of watercraft inspections. Prior to the program’s expansion, inspection stations in Wyoming would have been closed for the season at this point in the year, and the boat may have gone unnoticed.
“When the AIS Program launched in 2010, our stations were only open for the main boating season,” said Josh Leonard, AIS Coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “In the last few years, given the increased threat of AIS we recognize the need to stay open into the shoulder seasons, when the bulk of boaters are off the water. Situations like this demonstrate the threat is at our borders—knocking on Wyoming’s door. Everyone in Wyoming, or coming to Wyoming, should be concerned and get involved.”
Zebra and quagga mussels are aquatic invasive species that can wreak havoc in freshwater ecosystems, including causing damage to property like watercraft, ruining shorelines, harming fish populations and causing a decline in tourism.
In addition, mussels can clog dam systems, municipal water pipes, irrigation systems and treatment facilities. An infestation in just one of Wyoming’s water treatment facilities could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to remove mussels, keep water flowing and mitigate damage — costs that could be passed on to all water users.
Wyoming remains one of only five states in the continental United States that are mussel-free, with every state bordering Wyoming, except Montana, having at least one waterbody containing mussels. However live, adult mussels can begin reproducing the moment they hit the water if the conditions are right, so a watercraft harboring these animals could easily start a new population. Inspections are the first line of defense for many watercraft, and cases like this serve as a reminder for sustained vigilance.
“Our inspectors see thousands of boats every year,” said Reed Moore, AIS Specialist for the Sheridan region. “Since the discovery of zebra mussels in Pactola, our inspectors at Beulah have conducted hundreds of decontaminations. Over 50% of the watercraft inspected there are considered high risk for transporting AIS. Luckily the risk of this watercraft was minimized by our technicians and compliant boaters.”
Watercraft inspectors statewide have inspected over 73,000 boats and conducted 1,121 decontaminations this year. They also intercepted 43 other boats containing non-viable invasive mussels.
Any watercraft transported into Wyoming from March 1–Nov. 30 must undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector prior to launching on any Wyoming waterway. It’s state law that anyone with a watercraft must stop when coming upon an open AIS inspection station — even if they stopped at one prior or do not intend to launch in Wyoming. This applies to all motorized watercraft, as well as non-motorized watercraft such as kayaks, canoes, rafts and paddleboards.
Anyone interacting with Wyoming’s waters, including boating, fishing and recreating, can help keep these invasive mussels out of our state by always practicing Clean, Drain, Dry procedures. This means cleaning watercraft and equipment of mud, plants and debris, draining any standing water, and drying everything before transport, especially when planning to use the equipment in a different waterbody.
— WGFD —
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