Ravalli watercraft station opens Saturday

The watercraft inspection station at Ravalli is scheduled to open Saturday, March 12 and will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sept.18. The Ravalli station will begin night operations May 15.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, in partnership with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, manage two of the 20-plus watercraft inspection stations located throughout Montana.

An adult female zebra mussel can release a million eggs each year. Mussels have detrimental impacts on recreation and infrastructure when they attach to underwater surfaces. Flathead Lake is one of the largest and cleanest freshwater lakes in the country. Boaters can stop the spread of aquatic invasive species by making sure watercraft is clean, drained and dry.

Those hauling a watercraft of any kind, motorized or non-motorized, must stop at every check station. It is illegal to transport mussels, dead or alive, into or within the state of Montana.

For more information, visit csktnomussels.org or www.cleandraindrymt.com. To schedule a boat inspection, call Katie Finley-Squeque, AIS coordinator for the Tribes, at 406-552-2781.