FWP may have found mussels in Flathead Lake samples

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is

reporting that undesirable exotic mussels may be present in the

north end of Flathead Lake.

Microscopic larvae that are suspected

to be from the mussels, considered an invasive species, may be

contained in four of 17 samples taken in the Lake between May and

August, according to Eileen Ryce, FWP’s aquatic invasive species

coordinator.

Samples are being submitted for

additional testing, but results from independent labs in the

Midwest suggest that tiny organisms within the samples have

characteristics consistent with zebra and quagga mussels. However,

the results from a lab in Oregon, suggest no signs of mussel

contamination.

“These larvae are notoriously difficult

to identify at this stage of development,” Ryce said. “With this

sample, the question mark is the size of the larvae, which are

significantly smaller than what we’d expect. But we’ll err on the

side of caution.”

FWP plans to send divers to locations

on the north end of the Lake in an effort to search for any adult

mussels, which could be as tiny as sesame seeds, Ryce said. The

remaining samples will be submitted for additional DNA testing.

Neither zebra nor quagga mussels have

ever been found in Montana. These exotic mussels, which can be

carried in on boats, do not have a predator to manage their

numbers, leading them to reproduce and spread quickly. The mussels

are said to also block water intake pipes, disrupt water

purification and hydropower plant operations, and may impact

fishery populations.