HELENA — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services scuba divers searched for three days but did not find any indication of adult aquatic invasive mussels on the face of Tiber Dam in north-central Montana.
The divers were brought in this week because a juvenile mussel was found in a water sample taken from Tiber Reservoir near Chester last fall. That and a suspect sample taken from Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Townsend led Montana to increase its efforts to prevent the possible spread of the shellfish that can clog water pipes and displace native species.
Montana PBS reports wildlife officer Deb Goeb found a rusty pipe under water at Tiber Reservoir that was free of mussels, which she took to be a good sign.
State officials will continue to test water, educate boaters and inspect boats at the two reservoirs as well as watercraft coming into the state.