Just a day after a watercraft inspection station opened for the season along U.S. 93 in western Montana, inspectors stopped a pontoon and aluminum boat traveling from Arizona that had been fouled by invasive mussels.
The boats had been decontaminated after months in Lake Havasu, but some tiny mussels remained and were caught by inspectors on April 1.
The catch could have been a huge victory for Montana. It is estimated that an infestation of zebra mussels would cost the state an estimated $80 million, if it occurred. Other ecological prices could also result.
Remember to stop your watercraft, get it inspected, and always take measures to prevent species spread from water-body to water body.
