HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Watercraft inspectors in Montana have found aquatic mussels on 21 boats so far this year.
Aquatic mussels have no natural predators and can clog water pipes and displace native species. All watercraft must be inspected when coming into Montana.
The most recent cases involved two boats being transported through Montana en route to Washington state. After finding mussels on the boats, inspectors decontaminated them using hot water and notified officials in Idaho and Washington state about the encounters.