Check stations increased along Flathead

As the local boating season ramps up, regional stakeholders are pooling resources to prevent the spread of invasive mussels with the opening of two new watercraft check stations spanning both ends of Flathead Lake.

In Polson, the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation is offering boat inspections at its office on Sixth Avenue East. On the north end of the lake, Jesco Marine and Power Sports have partnered with the Flathead Basin Commission to house an inspection station at the dealership’s U.S. Highway 93 showroom outside Kalispell.

Tom McDonald, manager of the tribes’ FWRC Division, said that the Polson station provides a convenient service for local boaters, who would otherwise have to travel to Ravalli to certify their watercraft. The station is currently open during office hours Monday through Thursday, but McDonald said he hopes to find staff to man the station on weekends during the busy summer season.

For Jesco Marine General Manager Chris Parrott, housing a check station was an opportunity to join the effort in combating the spread of invasive mussels, which were detected in Montana for the first time last fall.

Parrott said officials with the Flathead Basin Commission initially contacted him while looking to add an additional check station in Kalispell. After the commission was unable to find a suitable piece of public land, Parrott said his company decided to invest about $20,000 and develop an empty lot adjacent to its showroom. Once the pieces were in place, Parrott said the project proceeded quickly.

“We did it all in about a week,” he said.

Starting Memorial Day weekend, the FBC will operate the station on Fridays from 5-10 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Signs of invasive mussel larvae were detected in Tiber and Canyon Ferry Reservoirs last fall. The discovery prompted state agencies to issue enhanced watercraft inspection regulations requiring all boats entering the Flathead Basin to undergo inspection prior to launch. Tribal officials have also banned motorized watercraft on all Flathead Reservation water bodies except for Flathead Lake and the lower Flathead River.

Spread primarily through trailered watercraft, zebra and quagga mussels have devastated waterways across the country. Having no natural competitors to keep them in check, mussels proliferate exponentially, out-competing native species for food and wreaking havoc on infrastructure.

With Flathead Lake and the greater Columbia River Basin on of the last uninfected waterways in the west, local scientists and stakeholders held numerous public meetings over the winter promoting awareness on the issue.

McDonald said he views the Polson check station as a continuation of that effort. In addition to cleaning, draining and drying watercraft, he said inspectors will also educate boats on dangerous activities such as “lake hopping.”

“A lot of it is education,” he said.

For Flathead Lake residents with moored vessels that cannot be easily transported, McDonald said the tribes are offering a local boat permit through an application.

Despite the increase in boating regulations, McDonald said he has not encountered opposition.

“The public support has been tremendous,” he said.

Parrott said he has had a similar experience, noting that people are starting to recognize the severity of the issue.

“People are starting to ask questions,” he said. “I haven’t had anybody talk about it being an inconvenience.”