The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

From a November press release written by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists, there is an invasive mussel larvae in some lakes and rivers in Montana.

It is with sort of a jaundiced eye that one looks at that press release because even the name of the body of water is wrong. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks calls it Tiber Reservoir but most everyone on the High-Line knows it to be Lake Elwell. Judge Elwell is probably turning over in his grave that his name is not used on his beautiful lake.

After the first press release the Blackfeet Nation and Glacier National Park closed all their waters to boats and floating devices of any kind until they can see what they have going on in their waters. Later than that there was the same mussel larvae found in the Missouri River close to Canyon Ferry.

Here is one of the latest of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks press releases.

"Water samples from Tiber reservoir east of Shelby have tested positive for the larvae of aquatic, invasive mussels with similar tests from Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Helena showing 'suspect' or inconclusive results according to officials at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

FWP along with other state and federal agencies and the Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council are now working to determine whether adult mussels are present in Tiber Reservoir and to get further test results on Canyon Ferry.

'This is the first positive test in Montana for the larvae of quagga or zebra mussels,' said Eileen Ryce, FWP fisheries division administrator. "Although we hoped we would never see these invasive species in Montana waters, we have been preparing for this possibility for some time and we are going to work together to address this threat.'

Recent site inspections at Tiber and Canyon Ferry did not turn up any established populations of adult mussels but officials will be conducting more extensive inspections with the assistance of stakeholders such as dam operators, marina concessionaires and other groups.

FWP for many years has conducted regular testing of the state's rivers, lakes and reservoirs for aquatic invasive mussels. Water samples from Fresno, Holter and Hauser reservoirs have come back negative as did samples from Lake Francis, the Marias River and the Milk River. Testing at Fort Peck and the entire Missouri River system is ongoing.

'The recent test results are definitely bad news, but they do indicate our detection system is working,' said Ryce. 'The results from Tiber reservoir show the larvae exist at very low densities which improves our chances for containment.'

State agencies are making arrangements to bring in dogs that may detect mussels at Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs. The dogs have proven effective in Canada and other states in identifying adult mussels attached to boats and other watercraft. At the reservoirs the dogs will inspect boat docks, launches and shore lines.

Bryce Christians, chair of the governor-appointed MISAC said, 'I am pleased with the initial response from the agencies and the expertise they bring to the issue.' He stressed the importance of all boaters and anglers practicing Montana's 'Clean, Drain and Dry' protocol.

Clean your boat and equipment every time you use it, especially of you move it to a new location.

Drain all standing water, including any that maybe left in the engine's cooling system, live wells and bilge areas.

Dry everything that has come into contact with water.

Quagga and zebra mussels are aquatic invasive species not known to be established in Montana. In other parts of the country such as the Midwest, Southwest and the Great Lakes area, mussel populations have impaired by hydroelectric, municipal and agricultural water infrastructure.

For more information on aquatic invasive species, visit the Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council web page at http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/cardd/MISAC, or FWP's website http://fwp.mt.gov.

Contact Eileen Ryce at (406)444-2448."

So, at this time we don't know much about this invasion of our waters except to say that those people sitting on the bald prairie just east of East Glacier for several years, maybe there was something they should be looking at all this time. And just maybe their vigilance has kept those invasive species from the waters of Glacier, the Flathead and the Blackfeet Nation.