Flathead Lake remains pristine; future cloudy

Flathead Lake remains one of the most pristine lakes in the country, but according to the 2017 State of the Lake report presented Wednesday night, its future is cloudy.

Hosted by the Flathead Lakers nonprofit organization, experts and citizens gathered at the Glacier Camp in Lakeside to discuss obstacles and successes of the past year in keeping the Flathead watershed clean, clear and free of invasive mussels.

Flathead Lake Biological Station Director Dr. Jim Elser stated in the report that the overall conditions of the lake are stable, with only a slight increase in nitrogen content and a slight decrease in phosphorous content, positive indicators that Elser said were part of a long-term trend.

The threat of invasion by non-native zebra and quagga mussels has become the main threat to the lake’s health and the No. 1 priority of both the Flathead Lakers and the biological station, Elser said.

While Elser disputed the common belief that once mussels arrive in a lake, they are impossible to fend off, he said that the possibility of an invasion is very real if not taken seriously by legislators, law enforcement and recreationalists.

According to Elser, single mussels have a hard time establishing themselves in a new lake. They have to make friends and reproduce, he said, which can be difficult in body of water as big as the Flathead Lake.

“Think of it as buying tickets to a terrible lottery,” Elser said.

Each time a boat enters the lake without proper inspection, the community buys a ticket, he explained.

Elser compared two states that have experienced such an invasion. Several years ago, Wisconsin discovered the presence of zebra mussels in some of their water bodies. After deciding not to pursue an aggressive eradication program, Elser said, every lake in the state is now affected.

Sharp, striped shells blanket beaches several feet deep. Fresh water food chains are suffering. Boat engines, irrigation systems and drainage pipes have become clogged and covered with colonies several million strong.

However, when the mussels were discovered in Minnesota, legislators and citizens banded together to launch a counter attack to prevent an infestation.

Lakes closed, inspections were aggressively enforced and strict regulations were put in place. Today, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” has only 20 water bodies containing invasive mussels.

Today, Elser and his team of scientists and researchers at the bio station are utilizing new technology to help identify and detect the presence of invasive species.

By taking DNA samples from the water, scientists like Dr. Cody Youngbull can scan for the smallest traces of mussels without having to catch anything.

In December 2016, the bio station and its partners took samples from 30 sites and collected 120 samples from around Flathead Lake and then repeated the process in April 2017.

Elser announced Wednesday that those tests detected no traces of invasive mussels.

The team now has plans to repeat the tests this summer and again in the fall.

The key to protecting the lakes and the watershed as a whole is prevention and early detection, Elser said. Every watercraft must be inspected every time before going into the water.

Laws are currently in place that prohibit boaters from passing an inspection station and can result in boats being impounded for up to 72 hours and a $500 fine.

The Flathead Lakers recognized the large-scale effort by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Aquatic Invasive Species Team in pursuing and enforcing legislation and regulations that would protect the Flathead’s waters.

Flathead Lakers President Steve Rosso presented the team’s director Tom McDonald with the organization’s annual Stewardship Award for the tribes’ work in preventing an invasion.

McDonald has lived in the area for about 60 years.

“We’re here because of the lake,” McDonald said. “It’s a new day in boating. It’s a new day in fishing. It’s a new day in recreation.”

“We need to dummy-proof this program,” he added.

McDonald said that over the next year, the tribes’ AIS team will reallocate funding and put about $250,000 toward eradication projects.

“We’re just beginning this effort,” he said. “This is just the tip of the ice berg.”

The Lakers also presented three videos addressing the protection of repairing areas, the threat of trains carrying oil through the valley and the importance of taking steps to prevent mussel invasion.

All three videos, titled Planting Buffers for Clean Water, Oil & Water Don’t Mix and Be a Montana Superhero, can be viewed at flatheadlakers.org.

The Flathead Lake Biological Station will also be hosting an open house for visitors to learn about their many ongoing research projects and other work in the Flathead Valley’s waters.

The open house will take place Aug. 2 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Flathead Lake Biological Station in Polson.

Visit flbs.umt.edu for more information.

For a list of upcoming events visit flatheadlakers.org or call 883-1346 for more information.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.