CLEARWATER — We've all seen the signs saying 'Don't Move a Mussel'.
This marks the fourth year with a week designated to say thank you to the unsung heroes of Montana's waterways, watercraft inspectors.
"Montana's waterways are absolutely beautiful and so much fun, but they're also a part of our culture," said Western Montana Conservation Commission (WMCC) spokeswoman Stephanie Murphy.
From remote alpine swims, to floating on the Clark Fork River, and boating on Flathead Lake, one thing that connects all Western Montana water-bodies is that they don't have invasive mussels.
"We currently don't have any muscle foul water in Montana," shared Clearwater Boat Check Site Supervisor, Zachary Lewis.
Zebra and quagga mussels are razor-sharp and can take over shorelines with ease. Lewis explained some of the additional harm mussels can also cause.
"They're a filter feeder. So, they filter all of the smaller micro-invertebrates out of the water as they feed on the water and algae and everything else. The problem with that is it then increases the amount of sunlight penetration which changes the oxygen levels in the water. Our trout species love oxygen and water. That's one of the issues we have when we're on hoot-owl, the water's too hot, [trout] can't breathe well."
"When we're thinking about aquatic invasive species, there's a lot to be lost if we get an infestation of mussels somewhere in Montana. They can damage irrigation infrastructure, they can damage boats and latch on to all kinds of watercrafts," added WMCC Program Coordinator Emilie Henry.
Watershed stewards are working to keep aquatic invasive species from coming into Montana.
"I think that because there's so much joy in our waterways that we can then take that next step and then care about how we can protect them into the future," said Murphy.
One way people can do their part is by pulling into a boat check station to make sure an invasive species hasn't hitched a ride.
Lewis explained the check process as such,
"We conduct an outside inspection of the boat. We then talk to the watercraft owner. We ask them a series of questions like where they're going, where they've been that helps us assess the risk of the watercraft," Lewis explained.
"And if there's a motor on it, we lower that to make sure there's no water in that motor that could be potentially harmful," Lewis continued. "We also inspect it for vegetation and then ask the owner if they have live bait or anything like that."
Out from sun up to sun down, through heat, smoke, wind and storms, watercraft inspectors are dedicated to keeping Montana mussel-free. "They're our first line of defense to protect our waters," noted Murphy.
The check station at Clearwater Junction is one out of more than 20 checking sites in the state.
"On average. We see about 30,000 watercraft a year through here. We are the busiest station in the state by more than double," Lewis detailed.
To give thanks, WMCC is holding their annual watercraft inspector appreciation week.
"They drop goodies by the station for us, you know, snacks and drinks and we have a handwritten letter from them this year," Lewis shared. He continued, "But having that little bit of reassurance that people actually, you know, value what we do. Definitely helps push us through for the rest of the year."
WMCC said people can show their support for inspectors and Montana's waterways by adding a few practices to their river routines. "Anything that floats is considered a boat. So, make sure that there are no plants or animals on their watercraft, clean drain and dry all their watercraft," Henry stated.
Click here to learn more about aquatic invasive species in Montana. Information about Montana's AIS inspection stations can be found here.
