Idaho, Utah sign agreement to fight invasive mussels on cross-border lake

Idaho’s state Department of Agriculture and Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources have announced a cooperative agreement with the Bear Lake Regional Commission by which all three will work together to coordinate anti-invasive species efforts on the lake, including boat inspection stations to check for invasive quagga and zebra mussels. The lake straddles the Idaho-Utah state line.

As part of the agreement, an inspection station previously run by Idaho on the lake won’t operate this year, and instead Idaho will contribute $135,000 to the commission, to go toward the operation of two boat inspection stations on the Utah side of the lake.

“We saw an opportunity to make more efficient use of our resources and efforts in the Bear Lake area by focusing on traffic entering from the south where the risk is greater, rather than duplicating inspection stations,” said Idaho Agriculture Director Celia Gould. “This kind of interstate agreement is unique and consistent with the philosophy we’ve always had for this program: Focus resources in the field where they can do the most good.”

The two stations on the Utah side of the lake inspected 13,750 boats last year and completed 410 hot-water decontaminations on boats coming from mussel-infested waters elsewhere.

“By working together, in a collaborative and partner-driven manner, we will have far greater success than we would by working alone,” said Utah state Sen. Curt Webb. “This partnership not only addresses some of the jurisdictional concerns that naturally exist in the area, but it applies additional resources to areas where they will have the greatest impact.”

Idaho lawmakers this year approved a big boost in funding for efforts to keep the invasive mussels out of Idaho. When the Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved the boost in March, its co-chair, Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, said, “The level of funding from the general fund for this effort is historic in nature. … We have seriously elevated our response to the threat and are taking action to try to protect Idaho’s precious waterways.”

The stepped-up efforts include additional inspection stations, more hours and more law enforcement support to keep the damaging, fast-spreading mussels out of the state. The Northwest is the last region of the country still free of the invasive mussels.