YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park is seeking public input on a proposed plan to help stop the spread of quagga mussels into park waters, according to a news release. The comment period is from March 7 through April 5.
With Yellowstone's proximity to Idaho waterways, the park faces increased risk of the invasive zebra and quagga mussels. This follows the previously reported quagga mussel dilemmas that Eastern Idaho began facing in their waters in 2023.
There were detections of the mussel larvae in 2022 in South Dakota and in 2023 in Idaho's Snake River. The fact that these waterways are within a day's drive of Yellowstone, officials are being proactive about their concern for the spread of the invasive water species into the national park.
The news release noted irreversible damage caused by the mussels unto ecosystems around the U.S., even into the Colorado River Basin.
In both 2022 and 2023, Yellowstone's aquatic invasive species (AIS) inspectors intercepted and denied the launching of mussel-ridden watercrafts, further highlighting the urgency of the threat mussels give.
30-Day Dry Time
As a way to protect Yellowstone's water systems and give them time to respond to the threat, park officials propose a 30-day dry time requirement for motorized boats and sailboats prior to launching. Large, trailered motor crafts pose the highest risk of introducing mussels and other AIS. These motor crafts are hard to inspect and less likely to completely dry/drain or be fully decontaminated.
Washing the boats in hot water is not perfect, so the only effective way of eliminating the threat is to impose the 30-day dry time.
Previously Contaminated Watercraft
Watercraft, whether motorized or not, that have been previously riddled with mussels, regardless of dry time, will be denied launch in Yellowstone. They use the language of "fouled" watercrafts. The launch of fouled watercrafts increase chances of false mussel detection, said the news release.
Prevention
The proposed ideas would build upon existing protections in place, which includes the 2019 prohibition on "watercrafts equipped with sealed internal ballast tanks" and the 2022 prohibition of "watercraft with evidence of live or dead mussels."
Yellowstone National Park is located at the headwaters of three major water sources: Yellowstone, Snake and Missouri river drainages. The measures being implemented are required to ensure the long-term ecosystem integrity of park waters. These measures will also help keep mussels out of downstream passages in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Failure to prevent infestation of these zebra and quagga mussels may result in widespread impacts of natural resources, recreational uses, and local businesses and could possibly undo over two decades of work to restore cutthroat trout in Yellowstone, stated the news release.
It further stated that prevention of AIS is critical because there is no effective eradication methods, and control and containment of the species is costly, and negatively impacts the environment.
30-Day Public Comment Period
There will be a 30-day comment period for the public to provide their input. The comment period began March 7 and the deadline is April 5. At the end of the 30 days, the National Park Service will consider all comments, and a final decision for how to manage the mussels is expected in spring of 2024. Submitting comments online is the preferred method and is available at this link. Comments can also be mailed to:
Yellowstone Center for Resources
ATTN: AIS Proposed Changes
PO Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Watch news reports for FREE on YouTube: KTVB YouTube channel
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
