Beaver Lake quarantine lifted

State officials have lifted a temporary watercraft closure of Beaver Lake. The lake was closed to boats last month while crews attempted to remove and manage a patch of Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive plant species discovered in the lake last year.

A temporary quarantine of the lake northwest of Whitefish had closed the public boat ramp and prohibited watercraft throughout the lake.

Dave Burch, weed program manager at the Montana Department of Agriculture, said dredge diving and bottom barrier control methods were used during control efforts. With those measures complete, he said the risk of watercraft spreading the aquatic weed is not a threat at this time.

Burch thanked the many agencies, cabin owners, organizations and the public for their help and support in implementing the plan.

"We need to work together when dealing with this type of situation," he said. "This closure was a great example of how these programs should work."