Montana puts muscle into AIS prevention

Montana’s waterways remained free of new aquatic invaders in 2024 thanks to the cooperative effort of federal, state, tribal and local entitles. 

More than 100,000 boats were inspected in the state last year for hitchhiking zebra and quagga mussels and other species that wield devastating ecological and economic impacts if established. Of that total, 42 boats were determined to be infested with invaders — not one of them made into any of Montana’s lakes. 

It’s a remarkable feat for the nation’s fourth-largest state offering hundreds of enticing lakes and rivers for recreationists to enjoy.  

What began as a piecemeal effort 20 years ago, the state’s Early Detection and Monitoring Program has ballooned into a strategic effort that continues to strengthen through local partnerships with Whitefish Lake Institute, Flathead Lake Biological Station, Swan Valley Connections, Western Montana Conservation Commission, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Blackfeet Tribe.  

Yet, the threat is closing in on Montana from every direction. About half of the boats inspected last year came from neighboring states with known aquatic invasive infections, namely Idaho and Washington where mussels have been found in the Snake River. They’ve also been detected in South Dakota’s Pactola Reservoir and Highline Lake in Colorado.  

To keep these invaders at bay, Montana must continue to purposefully invest in prevention programs with multiple layers of check stations. 

“I feel strongly in providing overlapping rings of boater compliance and verification,” said Phil Matson with the Flathead Lake Biological Station in the 2024 AIS report. “With the limited daylight offered to inspectors on the highways, boats can slip past inspections after hours. A strong presence must be felt at the moment before a boat launches into a waterbody, so having someone on site to check the boats status is critical to preventing that one boat from spoiling it for us all.” 

The state must also adopt the latest technologies available to make early detection easier and more reliable. The Bio Station is among the entities that are exploring the use of genetic tools to ramp up detections through rapid test results. 

Funding these new technologies and increased inspection efforts is a must in order to prevent a full-blown outbreak.  

Gov. Greg Gianforte’s budget proposal offers about $2 million in additional funding for the state’s Fisheries Division over the next two years, bumping the biennial budget funds over the $51 million mark. Northwest Montana legislators should get behind this generous package, so the state’s AIS Bureau has the resources it needs.

Rep. Tom Millett also wants to target boaters who don’t comply with Montana’s invasive species rules. The Marion Republican has drafted a bill that would double the fines for violating those provisions, while also removing the option to issue a warning without penalty. 

Millett’s bill shows that Montana means business when it comes to protecting its waterways. It’s the right message to send considering the economic fallout that would occur if invaders were to settle in the Flathead.