Boating season winds down, but inspections still needed

As the nights draw in and the weather gets colder, boating season is winding down in Wyoming – and so are the check stations that protect local water bodies from invasive aquatic species.

Check stations will begin to close or reduce their hours this month, but the Wyoming Game & Fish Department still requires that any watercraft transported into Wyoming until November 30 undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector.

“Boaters who need to get their watercraft inspected between now and the end of November can stop by a Game and Fish office or contact any private, certified inspector,” said Josh Leonard, Game and Fish AIS coordinator.

He also clarified that there is no end date on the requirement for an inspection if your vessel has been in infested water.

“Any watercraft that has been in a water infested with zebra/quagga mussels within the last 30 days is required to undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector prior to launching during all months of the year,” he said.

If boaters entering Wyoming do not encounter an open AIS check station on their route of travel, it is the boater’s responsibility to seek out an inspection. According to a change in statute that went into effect this year, the owner of a watercraft entering Wyoming who fails to have it inspected prior to launching will have 48 hours to obtain one after being stopped by a qualified peace officer and may not launch in Wyoming water until the inspection is complete.

Failure to comply is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5000 and possible prohibition from operating a watercraft in Wyoming water for up to three years.

Wyoming Game & Fish stepped up its efforts to stop zebra and quagga mussels from reaching waters in this state after an infestation of the invasive creatures was reported at Pactola Reservoir last year, just 30 miles from the Wyoming border.

This was the closest location in which the species has yet been found, which the department concluded was a significant increase to the risk to the state’s waters.

This week, Wyoming Game & Fish announced that the threat has continued to escalate, with five of the six bordering states now containing zebra or quagga mussel populations. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of quagga mussel larvae in the Centennial Waterfront Park area of the Snake River.

“We are confident in Idaho’s robust AIS program and the actions they are taking to initiate containment, but are still confronting this aggressively,” said Leonard.

“Game and Fish is increasing our diligence to inspect and decontaminate watercraft coming from the infested area.” 

Mussels can spread easily, even in their microscopic state, from just a little water left standing on a boat.

Wyoming remains one of the only states to remain free of the destructive species.

Increased vigilance for invasive mussels had already resulted in five thwarted attempts to cross the Wyoming border by June. Two of the five infested watercraft traveled through the check station in Beulah.

“With the threat of zebra mussels greater than ever before to Wyoming, we are relying on boaters more than ever to do the right thing and get your boats inspected,” Leonard said.