WYOMING — Watercraft inspection stations across the state have opened for the boating season, and some have already intercepted boats harboring invasive mussels.
According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), four watercraft were inspected with aquatic invasive species (AIS); two of which traveled through the Interstate-80 Evanston check station.
“It’s alarming to intercept watercraft carrying mussels this early in the season, though it’s not entirely unexpected,” WGFD AIS Coordinator Josh Leonard said in the announcement. “These interceptions highlight the growing threat of aquatic invasive species we’re up against.”
The WGFD says that this year’s inspection numbers have surpassed those of previous years at this time. Inspectors have already conducted more than 12,000 inspections across the state. Of these inspections, more than 1,200 have been classified as high-risk, meaning the watercraft came from a state with at least one mussel-infested waterbody.
Wyoming is one of five states in the continental United States without known populations of invasive mussels. AIS inspections also restrict curly pondweed, brook stickleback, Asian clams, New Zealand mudsnails and rusty crayfish from entering waterways in the Cowboy State.
All boaters are to follow the Clean, Drain, Dry protocols. It is recommended boaters traveling between waters but staying in Wyoming should allow their watercraft to dry for five days during the summer and remove all drain plugs before leaving the boat ramp. Wyomingites can speed up inspections by making sure there’s no mud, plants or standing water in their boat.
It’s state law that all boaters must stop when coming upon an open AIS inspection station — even if they stopped at one prior or do not intend to launch in Wyoming. This applies to anyone with a watercraft, which includes but is not limited to kayaks, canoes, rafts and paddleboards.
Any watercraft transported into Wyoming from March 1 through Nov. 30 must undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector prior to launching on any Wyoming waterway. 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. If the watercraft was used on a water suspect or positive for invasive mussels in the last 30 days, it must be inspected prior to launching year-round and may require decontamination.
