GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — A boat carrying quagga mussels was stopped at an aquatic invasive species (AIS) check station recently by a Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) technician, according to a Monday announcement by the park.
The dead mussels measured about 6 to 8 mm in size, which GTNP noted is about the width of a pencil. The boat, arriving from Utah, was subsequently decontaminated and sealed for the mandatory 30-day dry period.
“Finding mussels at a Grand Teton AIS check station is uncommon but it’s a good reminder that the risk of an introduction is real,” GTNP Fisheries Biologist and AIS Coordinator Chad Whaley said in the press release. “We cannot become complacent. The risk level is not going down.”
Wyoming is one of five states that has not been infested by quagga or zebra mussels, according to the park. GTNP has been operating AIS check stations since 2015.
“Once introduced and established, these species often cause dramatic ecological and economic damage, making prevention critical,” GTNP stated.
Boaters are reminded that they are required to stop if they pass an open watercraft inspection station, regardless of prior inspection history or destination. Out-of-state boaters must be inspected before launching on any waters in Wyoming.
See GTNP’s website for more information on AIS regulations and how to help prevent the spread of invasive species.
