April 2013

FWP Watercraft Inspection Stations

Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) held a meeting on February 28 with FWP staff and stakeholder partners to solicit input on the locations and running times for 2013 watercraft inspection stations around the state. FWP will also be running stations in Eurasian watermilfoil management areas that had previously been run by the Department of Agriculture. This change has significantly increased staffing and management needs for the summer. Based on input from attendees and available funding, the following stations are slated for the 2013 season:

• Dena Mora - 7 days a week
• Ronan - 7 days a week
• Bitterroot Roving - 4 days a week
• Clearwater - 7 days a week
• Dillon - 7 days a week
• Madison/Bozeman Roving - 4 days a week
• Helena Roving Crew #1 - 4 days a week (focus on Hi - line)
• Helena Roving Crew #2 - 2 days a week (focus on upper Missouri)
• Helena Roving Crew #3 - 4 days a week (focus on southeastern waters)
• Billings/Hardin Crew - 7 days a week
• Wibaux - 7 days a week
• Culbertson - 7 days a week
• Fort Peck - 7 days a week
• Shelby/Conrad - 4 days a week
• Swan Roving - 4 days a week
• Eureka - 7 days a week
• Troy - 7 days a week
• Noxon - 4 days a week
• Thompson Falls - 4 days a week
• Please see Watercraft Inspection Stations map for station locations.

Watercraft inspection station staff training will occur May 8-10 and stations will open in the following two weeks. The Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) management staff will be sending start times and station schedules to the FWP Regions prior to the start of work. The 2013 effort will be significantly larger than 2012, which was significantly larger than in 2011, and 2010, etc. As the AIS program grows we are increasingly dependent on FWP regional staff for feedback and assistance in ensuring that crews are safe and doing a good job. FWP looks forward to a productive season.

Watercraft Inspections

Even though FWP's watercraft inspection stations are not open yet, AIS management staff is already involved with inspecting and monitoring boat traffic. Staff monitors all commercially hauled watercraft that passes through the state. If the boat is simply passing through then FWP forwards all pertinent information on to neighboring states. If the boat is launching in Montana FWP follows up with the hauler, gets more information on the boat, and then arranges for an inspection if deemed necessary. For example, this week Jayden Duckworth Region 1 AIS technician will be inspecting 7 barges that are being brought into the state for use in a large project on Lake Koocanusa.

Sometimes the AIS management staff is also called upon to follow up on specific boats that had been red-flagged for various reasons. Last month Idaho contacted FWP to alert that a large cabin cruiser that had originated from Lake Mead and passed through their Malad station and may have mussels on it. As the final destination was purported to be British Columbia, BC officials asked if it would be possible for FWP AIS management staff to re-inspect the boat prior as it passed through Montana if the driver was willing. With the help from FWP's enforcement division we were able to track down the driver of the vehicle hauling the boat and arranged for a voluntary inspection as the driver passed through Helena. Numerous quagga mussels were found on the boat, but all were dead and the boat was allowed to proceed to BC, where officials would follow up. This incident showcases the excellent coordination and cooperation between regional states and provinces.

AIS Training

In an effort to increase AIS awareness and education throughout the agency and especially seasonal workers such as Fishing Access Site summer staff, AIS management staff will be providing training opportunities to the FWP Regions this spring and early summer. This training will focus on increasing awareness so staff will know how to recognize high-risk boats and equipment, AIS in the field, or other potential AIS violations and what to do if they see suspect vessels or organisms.

Recent AIS Meetings

Allison Begley FWP AIS Coordinator attended a workshop in Dover, ID to discuss Prevention and Control of AIS in the Columbia River Basin. There was a great local turn out to this meeting from various organizations or agencies, and increased collaboration will hopefully follow. Allison also attended a meeting with federal and state representatives to discuss the distribution of federal funding for quagga mussel funding to prevent the spread in the Western Region.

Stacy Schmidt AIS technician attended the International Didymo Conference in Providence, RI. This conference was well attended despite the recent federal sequester, and included presentations from many of the leading researchers in the field. "Didymo" or Didymosphenia geminata is a species of diatom that blooms in freshwater streams and rivers. The evidence seems to indicate that Didymo is native to Montana. Further research is being conducted as it is likely invasive to other regions of the U.S. as well as other countries where its "blooms" can be problematic. There were multiple presentations on the alterations it causes to the benthic communities, and by which nutrients it is limited. Causes of the nuisance blooms were discussed in-depth and more research is currently being conducted. For more information, please go to International Didymo Conference.

January 2013

FWP Watercraft Inspection Stations

FWP is currently accepting applications for Fisheries Technicians to staff our watercraft inspection stations for the 2013 Field Season. Applications will be accepted until March 1, 2013 or until all positions are filled. Please go to the State of Montana Job Listings to apply online.

AIS in the News

For some interesting (and alarming) reading, please read the article, Death of the Doughnut
( 535 KB) about quagga mussels in Lake Michigan, and the Oakland Press article on loon die-offs.

November 2012

FWP Watercraft Inspection Stations

All of FWP's watercraft inspection stations officially closed on October 14th. The unofficial total of boat inspected during the season is 21,762, with 16,854 from in-state and 4,908 boats from out-of-state. The final number will be available, along with a full report of the season, in late December. Staff is currently entering the data collected from the interview forms, which is vital in setting priorities for the AIS Program. Data from the surveys illustrate boater movement, boater knowledge of AIS, boater behavior, and what forms of outreach are reaching the most water users. This information helps the agency determine which waterbodies are most at risk, where to put watercraft inspection stations, what days and times to operate them, what public outreach is most effective, and much more.

The table below shows a summary of the number of inspections done at our seasonally permanent and roving watercraft inspection stations from the beginning of the season (May 14) through October 14th.

*Other includes two cases of marine organisms, two cases of illegal bait, and one case of illegal live fish.

October 2012

FWP Monitoring and Early Detection

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has been conducting aquatic invasive species monitoring/early detection activities for the past 8 years. Early detection is used to find small or source AIS populations, while monitoring is used to study population trends. FWP monitors for all prioritized invasive species, including (but not limited to): zebra/quagga mussels, New Zealand mudsnails, and Eurasian watermilfoil. Montana utilizes a variety of techniques in monitoring for AIS species including: plankton sampling, invertebrate sampling, macrophyte sampling, cross polarized light microscopy, PCR testing, and pathogen testing in fish. Wild sites are any sites not considered a hatchery, wild fish transfer or private pond (not included in graph). These wild sites include multiple locations on single waterbodies. Other agencies assist in FWP's efforts by collecting plankton samples for analysis at FWP's Dreissenid Lab in Helena (Whitefish Lake Institute, Bureau of Reclamation, Clearwater Resource Council, National Park Service, Department of Agriculture, and the USCG).

September 2012

FWP Watercraft Inspection Stations

The season has wound down for the year and most of our stations are closed with the exception of Ronan, which is still open Thursdays-Sundays until mid-October to cover the start of Mac Days on Flathead Lake. We also have our roving inspector in the Bitterroot still working, and one Helena roving team that is visiting some eastern waters such as Tongue River Reservoir, Cooney Lake, and the Big Horn until mid-October. All AIS crews will be done by October 14th.

As of September 24 watercraft inspection crews have inspected a total of 21,247 boats¿16,415 from in-state and 4,832 from out-of-state. Crews continue to find a lot of vegetation on boats, including another case of EWM, again at Dena Mora. Crews also continue to find standing water in boats, particularly in the bilge area. However, crews are reporting that more and more boat owners are showing up at stations with their plugs out, and boat owners are saying that is a direct response to the information they have received from previous inspections on the importance of having a drained and dry boat. Again, great job by our crews in getting that vital message across to the public.

The table below shows a summary of the number of inspections done at our seasonally permanent and roving watercraft inspection stations from the beginning of the season (May 14) through September 24.

WibauxWibaux

Quagga Mussels - boat inspectionNew Zealand Mudsnails - Darlington Ditch

August 2012

FWP Watercraft Inspection Stations

As of August 27 watercraft inspection crews have inspected a total of 18,183 boats¿14179 from in-state and 4004 from out-of-state. Those numbers represent individual boats and do not include repeat inspections. In the past two weeks FWP crews have seen a lot of action. The Bitterroot roving crew found and decontaminated an out-of-state vessel with quagga mussel shells on it, the Culbertson crew intercepted illegal minnows on two occasions, the Clearwater crew intercepted live yellow perch, and most stations have been finding a lot of vegetation, including another case of EWM, this time at Dena Mora. Kudos to all the great crews!

The table below shows a summary of the number of inspections done at our seasonally permanent and roving watercraft inspection stations from the beginning of the season (May 14) through August 29.

These numbers do not include other inspection activities that FWP also regularly conducts. All commercially hauled boats entering the state are tracked and boats that are destined for Montana are inspected prior to launching. Information on commercial boats passing through the state is sent to neighboring states so their inspection stations can be as prepared as possible. FWP also conducts inspections on barges and other large equipment that enters the state to do clean-up work, construction, and other heavy-duty work in or near waterbodies.

As the fall approaches some stations have been closed and others have been operating at reduced hours to accommodate staff who had to return to school and other commitments. However, Clearwater Junction, which was already the busiest watercraft inspection station, began checking westbound boats as well as eastbound, following approval to operate outside of standard departmental policy. Some staff have been reprioritized to help handle the resulting increase in traffic through that station. Closed stations include Hardin and Culbertson, and stations at reduced hours include Dena Mora, Dillon, and Helena Roving.

2012 AIS Hatchery Inspection2012 AIS Hatchery Inspection

Net Winged MidgeCurly Leaf Pondweed

July 2012

FWP Watercraft Inspection Stations

As of July 28, 2012, watercraft inspection crews have inspected almost 12,000 boats - 9256 from in-state and 2649 from out-of-state. Each inspection recorded below represents a unique inspection, i.e. repeat inspections are not included. In the past two weeks, crews have intercepted 1 watercraft with New Zealand mudsnails, and 1 watercraft with an as-of-yet unidentified Dreissenid mussel (e.g. Zebra or Quagga mussels). Through the course of the inspection season, crews have intercepted a handful of boats with Eurasian watermilfoil.

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*New Zealand mudsnails

**Marine organism (e.g. barnacles)