Page 12 - Flathead Beacon // 2.24.16

NEWS
Swan Lake Walleye Linked to Illegal Introduction Chemical analysis reveals sh were spawned in another body of water
BY BEACON STAFF
State wildlife o cials have con rmed that two walleyes caught in Swan Lake last fall were illegally transplanted, quelling concerns that the non-native species spawned in the lake.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists reported catching the walleye in Swan Lake in October during a gill-net oper- ation, marking the rst time the spe- cies has been discovered in the lake and raising concerns about the illegal intro- duction of yet another non-native sh in Montana’s waters, according to Mark Deleray, Region One sheries manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Recent microchemistry analysis of the inner ear bones of the sh indicates they were introduced to the lake sometime last year.
Deleray said it’s highly likely the sh originated from an illegal introduction, a trend that has wreaked havoc on hun- dreds of water bodies across the state, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to rectify.
In most cases, the illegal introduction cannot be undone, often leading to lost recreational shing opportunities, as well as collapsing ecosystems and altered food webs.
The recent case is problematic because walleye are highly predacious and could impact the native bull trout population, as well as the kokanee salmon shery in Swan Lake, Deleray said. He estimated nearly 600 illegal introductions have occurred in 250 bodies of waters in the state, and roughly half of those incidents were in Northwest Montana.
With laboratory analysis of the sh’s ear bones, or otoliths, complete, scientists
A walleye caught in Swan Lake. COURTESY MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS
now know the sh were not spawned in Swan Lake.
Otoliths contain a unique ngerprint of the water chemistry where the sh swims on a given day, and can be used to map the entire life history of a sh within a lake or river network.
“We see a signi cant change over time in the chemical pro le of the otoliths, indi- cating that the two walleye were recently introduced into Swan Lake,” FWP Fisher- ies Biologist Sam Bourret said. “It appears that the walleye were introduced in 2015.”
If the analysis on the recently caught
walleye had identi ed Swan Lake as their natal water, it would mean they came from a breeding population.
Biologists are analyzing sh from other areas to determine the origin of the trans- planted walleyes.
Already, the analyses have shown that the walleye did not originate in Lake Francis, near Conrad, or Noxon Reservoir.
The reward for information leading to the conviction of whoever is respon- sible for the illegal introduction is up to $30,000.
Deleray noted that the FWP
Commission approved a mandatory kill regulation for walleye in Swan Lake, Swan River, and their tributaries. All walleye caught by anglers must be kept and immediately killed. Walleye must be reported to FWP within 24 hours, and arrangements made for the entire sh to be turned into FWP within 10 days.
Deleray asked anyone with informa- tion on who introduced walleye into Swan Lake to call 1-800-TIP-MONT. Callers do not need to identify themselves and may be eligible for the cash reward.
news@ atheadbeacon.com
Libby School O cials Push for Building Levy Voters have not approved a school levy since 2002
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
School o cials in Libby are hoping voters will pass a levy for the rst time in 14 years to address the district’s building maintenance needs.
Superintendent Craig Barringer said the district is asking voters for a levy that would raise $4.1 million over 5 years. The money raised from the levy will help fund repairs to the school district’s six buildings, including the elementary, middle and high school and the alter- native school.
“We’re not looking to upgrade the facilities, we’re looking to maintain them. We have leaky roofs and side- walks that are falling apart,” Barringer said. “If we wait ve years to do these things we’ll be in a world of hurt.”
Barringer said school o cials realize that passing
the levy will be an uphill battle. The last time a levy passed was in 2002. More recently, voters turned down levy proposals in 2011 and 2013 by wide margins. The most recent levy was to help cover a $700,000 budget shortfall during the 2013 and 2014 academic year. The levy’s failure resulted in deep cuts for the district.
If passed during the school election on May 3, the levy would go toward replacing the roofs of the town’s three active schools, repairing oors, sidewalks and parking lots. Barringer also said the elementary school’s ventilation and heating system needs work, as it is more than 50 years old.
“We’re not trying to build the Taj Mahal, we just want these buildings to last another 20 years,” he said. “Right now we’ve got pot holes that will eat you up.”
The money will also go toward replacing lighting in
all of the schools, something Barringer said will result in savings in the long-term.
Barringer estimates that the levy would cost $92 annually for the owners of a home valued at $100,000 and $180 annually for owners of homes valued at $200,000. That comes out to being between $7 and $15 every month.
“This levy is targeted at our buildings. It doesn’t go to anyone’s salary. This is an investment into our schools if we want them to be here 20 years from now and frankly, our kids deserve to walk into buildings that are ready for them,” Barringer said.
The Libby School District is hosting a community meeting about the levy on March 1 at 6 p.m. at the K.W. Maki Theater at the Central School.
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FEBRUARY 24, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com