Watercraft inspection stations to open

The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CS&KT) in partnership with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) currently manages two of the 20+ watercraft inspection stations located throughout the state of Montana. The Ravalli station is scheduled to open on March 12 and will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Ravalli will begin night operations May 15 and end September 18. After that the Ravalli station will continue to operate 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. until October 23. The Thompson Falls check station will open on April 23 and will be open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. until September 18.

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.

You must stop, it’s the law! If you are hauling a watercraft of any kind, motorized or non-motorized, you must stop at EVERY check station! It is illegal to transport mussels, dead or alive, into or within the state of Montana. There have been a record number of boats checked this year at our two check stations. To date, there have been four boats intercepted with non-viable mussels detected! Good Job watercraft inspectors, thank you for keeping our waters the cleanest freshwater lakes in the country!

For more information, visit http://www.cleandraindrymt.com.