Boat inspections catching on

Fishing business and a trip to an Osprey baseball game were reasons for two trips down U.S. 93 to Missoula about two weeks ago. A few miles south of Ronan I noticed a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks boat inspection station.  

A new regulation effective this spring requires all boaters (canoers, kayakers, pleasure boaters) to stop, not just anglers and hunters as in the past.

I didn't stop because I didn't have a boat, but I did call Jayden Duckworth, one of the boat inspectors, to learn what they're looking for and how the inspections are perceived by boaters.

Boats are inspected for invasive species, including zebra mussels and Eurasian water milfoil.

"We look everywhere," Duckworth said, "on the hull, on the trailer, in live wells, any nooks and crannies where these species may be hiding. We set up far away from water. We definitely don't want anyone pulling their boat's plug. If we find an invasive species hitchhiker, we decontaminate the boat and trailer with a hot water pressure washer."

Boats are to be decontaminated in a flat area, also far removed from the water, where washing water can harmlessly percolate into gravel.

"We inspect 60-70 boats a day on weekends," Duckworth said. "We can run local Montana-registered boats through in 5-10 minutes. Out-of-state boats take a little longer because we are more thorough and we want to know where they've been."

In addition to the Ronan station, boats are inspected on Highway 200 near Plains, on Flathead Lake launches and also at unannounced roving stations.

According to Duckworth, no invasive species have been found at the Ronan station, but zebra mussels were found on a boat near Plains and, several months ago, on a boat at Dayton Harbor on Flathead Lake.

"Ninety-nine percent of the people who stop are 100 percent with us on the importance of these inspections," Duckworth said. "In-staters especially already know about these invasive species. This is my second year, and I'm definitely seeing more people knowing about what we're looking for."

When I asked Duckworth for any unusual stories, he told me about a gentleman who stopped without a boat.

"We told him what we were doing," Duckworth said. "He asked a few questions, but his small-talk seemed a bit hesitant and restrained."

The man drove off but returned about 15 minutes later and apologized for his earlier seemingly confusion.

"I wondered why you didn't inspect my kayaks," the man said. "Then I realized I'd forgot them at home."