Aquatic Invasive Species

Glacier National Park will begin opening park waters to boaters in the next few weeks with beefed-up inspection requirements put in place after invasive mussels were first detected in Montana in 2016.

Inspection stations that screen for invasive species will begin opening around Lake McDonald and the west side of the park on May 12. East side waters and inspection stations will open June 1.

A group tasked by the legislature to protect water quality in the Flathead Valley is in jeopardy after its funding was cut during Montana’s special legislative session in November and its executive director was terminated in February.

On Wednesday the Flathead Basin Commission will meet in Pablo and reassess its future.

A boat carrying invasive zebra mussels was stopped late last week at an Anaconda inspection station.

An invasive mussel prevention plan is creating conflict between some recreational boaters and resource managers over access to Tiber Reservoir.

Tiber is the only lake in the state that’s tested positive for invasive mussels two years in a row.