Montana’s aquatic invasive species watercraft inspection program is gearing up for another summer, and the first question inspectors will ask is, “Where has your boat been in the past 30 days.” More than 45 newly trained Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks seasonal employees will man the check stations beginning in mid-May in key locations throughout the state.

The summer’s mission is to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, chief among them quagga and zebra mussels, New Zealand mudsnails and Eurasian watermilfoil, and to inform boaters how to prevent infesting Montana’s waters with these unwanted, costly-to-clean-up-after pests.

“Inspecting boats as they are moved from one water to the next and helping boaters and anglers learn to identify the most threatening species is what we’re about,” says Eileen Ryce, the FWP fisheries biologist who heads the aquatic invasive species program.

Ryce said a brief interview during boat checks where zip codes are collected enables FWP to track boating traffic and plan where it will be most advantageous to hold vessel checks.

“Those with ‘high risk’ boats will get closer scrutiny,” Ryce said. “In some cases, these checks can take a little longer to complete.”

The mussels and mudsnails that inspectors are looking for are tiny and easy to miss. In some cases, the only clue may be a gritty feeling as they run their hands along the finish of the boat. In rare cases when a boat is infested or suspected of being infested, it will be pulled aside for a more detailed inspection and cleaning.

To avoid being delayed, boaters will want to know what water bodies are considered high risk and take the proper precautions to ensure their boat does not carry organisms or plants from that location. That means inspect, clean and dry the boat before heading to the next location — and do the same for any and all gear that was in the water.

“The most effective agents against AIS are high-pressure hot water,” Ryce said. “Also important is inspecting boating and fishing gear for plant parts and removing any leaves, stems or other material before leaving a water.”

AIS inspectors also check to be sure live wells are completely drained, that the boat plug was removed and water drained out, that jet boat motors are flushed out and dry, and that the bilge area is clean and dry.

If you’re heading with your boat to Lake Mead, Lake Havasu, the Great Lakes in Michigan or any other body of water known to be infected with quagga or zebra mussels, New Zealand mudsnails or Eurasian watermilfoil, you’re going into a high-risk area and when you return to Montana your watercraft will be considered a “high-risk boat” worthy of a very careful inspection.

A critical precaution is to never allow water or plant life from one body of water to be transferred to another body of water. Even if there’s no known AIS infestation, it’s important to avoid cross-contaminating a waterbody with bacteria, microscopic organisms or any other matter from another water.

By law, boaters must stop at AIS check stations for a brief interview and inspection. Inspection stations will be set up at border crossings and along major highways, heavily used waterbodies and other access points.

Priority aquatic invasive species threats in Montana include Zebra/Quagga mussels (undetected); Asian carp (undetected); viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (undetected); Eurasian watermilfoil (present); New Zealand mudsnails (present); and whirling disease (present).

AIS check station personnel will ask boaters the boat owner’s zip code; number in the party; watercraft type; water user type; whether there’s live bait on board; names of water bodies visited in the past 30 days; next water body to be visited; and level of knowledge on aquatic invasive species.

For more information on aquatic invasive species, visit online at fwp.mt.gov and click on “Aquatic Invasive Species” on the “Fishing” page.

Diane Tipton is the statewide information officer for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.