Little mussels a big concern for Park

A little mussel is a big worry for Glacier National Park superintendent Chas Cartwright.

“It’s a threat that I lose sleep over at night,” Cartwright said during a meeting with the public in Columbia Falls last week.

Cartwright was speaking of aquatic invasive species — a whole host of non-native plants and animals just waiting to catch a ride on an unsuspecting boat into Glacier Park’s waters.

One of the most common threats is zebra and quagga mussels, small mollusks that came to the U.S. from European waters in the ballast of international ships.

Both mussels have invaded the Great Lakes and the Mississippi drainages and are spread by boaters, often stowing away in bilge pumps. The tiny mussels overtake lakes, multiply by the millions while choking out native species. The mussels can also live out of water for an extended period of time.

According to U.S. Geological Survey data, zebra and quagga mussels have been found in Nevada, Colorado and California. There are also concerns about aquatic weeds and other non-native plants infesting Park waters. Non-native weeds have already been found in area lakes and the Flathead River.

The hope is to keep them out of Glacier Park with a mandatory boat-inspection process. Motorized and trailered watercraft must have a thorough boat inspection by a Park employee upon every entry to the park. A free permit is issued after the inspection, which takes at least 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the boat. A boat may launch multiple times provided the boat does not leave the Park between launches. If it leaves the Park, it must be inspected again.

New to the program this year is the requirement that owners of hand-propelled watercraft (canoes, kayaks, rowboats, rafts, catarafts) being launched within the Park to obtain a free self-certification permit. The permit is required upon each entry to the Park and must remain with boaters while they’re floating. The Park has posted signs at its entrances reminding boaters that permits are necessary.

The permit is available at all Park visitor centers, backcountry permit offices, Park Headquarters and at maintained boat launches or online at www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/ais.htm. Park employees will inspect hand-propelled watercraft on a voluntary basis.

While launch times are not restricted, inspection hours are limited, vary throughout the Park and will be adjusted seasonally. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, permits are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Park Headquarters and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at other locations, including the St. Mary Visitor Center, Two Medicine Ranger Station and Many Glacier Ranger Station. Boaters wishing to launch on Bowman Lake should obtain a permit at Park Headquarters, but they must immediately proceed to Bowman Lake after the inspection.  

Boats that fail inspection will be denied a permit. Boaters may re-apply for a permit after their boat is thoroughly cleaned, drained and dried. Boats found with infestations of any aquatic invasive species may be quarantined until they are fully decontaminated, which can take up to 30 days.

“Glacier is all about water quality,” Cartwright said. “We’re taking this issue very seriously.”