Page 11 - Flathead Beacon // 12.14.16

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NEWS
With Uni ed Task Force, Montana Expedites
Invasive Mussel Testing
State lawmakers critical of ‘slow, stumbling ’ response to rst detection of aquatic invaders
BY TRISTAN SCOTT OF THE BEACON
Leaders of a statewide interagency strike team tasked with combatting the threat of invasive mussels announced last week they have expedited a ve- month backlog of water samples and will have complete results by Dec. 19, while state lawmakers have voiced concerns about the initial response.
The Montana Mussel Incident Response Team was formed earlier this month in response to the recent discov- ery of mussel larvae in Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs east of the Continental Divide, as well as in the Milk River near Malta and the Missouri River near York.
Further analysis is underway to determine whether a full adult popula- tion of mussels has been established, but winter weather is hampering the collec- tion of additional data, o cials said.
Matt Wolcott, the team’s incident commander, said the state has pri- oritized processing of 372 samples by increasing the capacity of the two state labs in Montana, purchasing new microscopy equipment to expedite the processing and outsourcing samples to a lab in Colorado.
“The credit for that success lies not with the team, but with the laboratory scientists working overtime to push these samples through,” Wolcott said.
Wolcott said the agencies, including Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, are now “joined at the yoke” and “are pulling in the same direction.”
Yet many observers have expressed dismay that the state waited as long as it did to act, saying a decision-making gridlock occurred due to a “turf war” over who was in charge.
At the Kalispell Chamber of Com- merce luncheon on Dec. 6, Mark Blasdel, a Republican state senator from Somers who will serve as majority whip in the upcoming legislative session, raised concerns about the possible spread of invasive mussels and criticized the state’s response to the rst detection.
“This is a big issue. This is not just a Northwest Montana issue; it’s a Mon- tana issue,” he told the crowd.
Blasdel was critical of the state’s response, which he characterized as slow considering the water samples were collected in summer. He said in ghting among the agencies, or a “turf war,” was clogging up an e cient and cohesive response to the threat.
According to Greg Lemon, informa- tion bureau chief for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the state was noti ed Oct. 17 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Phil Matson, research specialist with the Flathead Lake Biological Station, collects an eDNA sample along the north shore of Flathead Lake on Dec. 2. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
that a “suspect sample” had been discov- ered in Tiber Reservoir near Shelby. The state prioritized its water samples from Tiber that were taken in summer while gathering additional samples, and sub- sequent lab results con rmed the pos- itive detection of larvae of an uniden- ti ed invasive mussel species, either a quagga or zebra. Additional testing later identi ed positive detections in Canyon Ferry. The state announced the detec- tion on Nov. 8 and closed Tiber and Can- yon Ferry on Dec. 1.
“We have to do what we can to keep them out of our water system,” Blasdel said. “These mussels will change the dynamics of Flathead Lake.”
Blasdel said the mussels would have serious ecological and economic impacts if they invade the Flathead basin.
Blasdel credited the e orts of the Flathead Basin Commission, the Flat- head Lakers and other local groups that have spearheaded proactive measures for monitoring and prevention.
Mike Cu e, a Republican lawmaker from Eureka who has advocated for expanded resources to combat aquatic invasive species, said the new incident command team is doing a good job now that it’s taken control of the situation.
“In my opinion, our response got o to a slow, stumbling start. There was not a good rapid response attack. By now, what has happened?” Cu e said.
“Once the incident command team took over, it’s taken the politics out of it. It appears to me they are doing a good job.”
Cu e said building a “ rewall” along the Continental Divide to prevent the
spread into the Flathead Basin will now be critical.
“We have to plan for the worst and hope for the best,” Cu e said.
On Nov. 30, Gov. Steve Bullock announced a statewide natural resource emergency for Montana water bodies, and a day later, state agencies imposed restrictions on the two reservoirs where the species have turned up.
So far, the traces of contamination are restricted to the Missouri River Basin, but the potential for mussels to spread by clinging to the hulls of boats or persisting in the bilge water has risen dramatically.
The threat of mussel infestation hits especially close to home for those work- ing to protect the waters of Flathead Lake and its surrounding network of rivers and creeks, and it comes to rest at the doorstep of the Columbia River Basin — the only major watershed in the West still believed to be free of quagga and zebra mussels.
Wolcott said experts from through- out the state, across the country and even the world have o ered their ser- vices, while the Montana Invasive Spe- cies Advisory Council is forming a long- and short-term strategy to provide a framework for the state and its regional partners.
“We understand that the potential implications are serious, but we are tak- ing direct thoughtful and coordinated action,” he said. “This is by far not a hopeless situation.”
Dillon Tabish contributed to this story. tscott@ atheadbeacon.com
DECEMBER 14, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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