Whitefish is perhaps the most progressive community in the state of Montana in addressing AIS issues. Since 2013, WLI has drafted and implemented a Whitefish AIS Management Plan that the Whitefish City Council has approved and funded.
History of AIS Programming in Whitefish
Each year, there are various tasks completed for early detection, monitoring and prevention. Some of these tasks include the Whitefish City Beach Watercraft Inspection Station and early detection monitoring of zebra mussels from environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis. Due to the generosity of the Joe and Cindy Gregory Family (WLI Members), an official watercraft inspection station was constructed at City Beach.
One previous gap for Whitefish Lake had been the lack of a watercraft inspection station at State Park. WLI partnered with Montana State Parks and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) to coordinate and implement a watercraft inspection capability there. Additionally, WLI continues to consult with AIS partners including Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP), DNRC, University of Montana, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes as we go through the annual planning process. The City of Whitefish Community Services Coordinator, WLI’s Executive Director, also received upper level watercraft inspection and decontamination training. WLI’s annual AIS Management Plan proposal to City Council remains adaptive in addressing the increased threat to our lake and community. In 2017, with funding provided by the Whitefish Community Foundation, WLI purchased a decontamination unit and associated safety equipment.
Since 2011, WLI has also partnered with MFWP to coordinate, administer, and train volunteers for the Northwest Montana Lakes Network. Through that program, volunteers collect water quality and AIS early detection samples from over 40 lakes in northwest Montana. Unfortunately, there is no perfect tool or set of tools in our toolbox to totally eliminate the AIS threat to Whitefish Lake. That’s why we need help from the public to clean, drain and dry your watercraft and equipment after each use.
What are Aquatic Invasive Species?
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are non-native plants and animals that impact water bodies and wetlands. They are species for which a local ecosystem’s native species have no defense mechanisms or for which they cannot compete against for food and shelter. They may start as a nuisance but can have disastrous long-term effects. AIS can be transported on any type of watercraft, trailers, and bait buckets or equipment. Some AIS can find their way into interior watercraft ballasts, and others can “hitchhike” from one water body to another by attaching themselves to surfaces. All AIS are of concern for Montana waterways, but zebra & quagga mussels pose the greatest ecological and economic current threat.
How do invasives species pose a threat ecologically and economically?
Once established, AIS can destroy waterways. Invasive mussels, for instance, reproduce so rapidly that their sharp shells blanket shorelines so that footwear must be worn to walk the area. They attach themselves to water circulation systems on watercraft, overheating and destroying motors. Decaying mussels also release an unpleasant odor that permeates the air and water. They reproduce rapidly adhering to any stable surface. If established on water intake pipes, they can cause system failures and expensive clean-ups.
In the United States, zebra mussels have cost the power industry over $3 billion between 1993–1999, impacting industries, businesses, and communities for over $5 billion. Although mussels tend to dominate the news, additional threats come from a variety of invasive plants, fish, and pathogens.
In Montana, a 2019 study by the Flathead Lake Biological Station showed the potential total economic impact to the state of Montana at $234 million and is likely to affect agriculture, hydropower facilities, drinking water supplies, property values, and recreation. The estimated damages reflects the direct mitigation costs and revenue lost to affected stakeholders. The indirect costs—such as ecological damages to native species, lost jobs, and the personal and cultural benefits people derive from lakes and rivers—are not included. A full-cost accounting of the direct and indirect costs would far exceed $234 million per year.
A zebra mussel infestation in Whitefish Lake could result in the City’s drinking water intake pipe becoming plugged with mussels. The water-cooling system in our boat motors could become encrusted with mussels. They could spread across our docks, and our children’s feet could be cut as they wade barefoot into the lake. Our lake fishery and overall water quality could forever be changed. These impacts would cause indirect consequences to small businesses in Whitefish due to boating and recreation restrictions or closures. And there would be a great loss in property value to homeowners on and near the lake resulting in a decreased tax base.
Beaver Lake Initiative
Zebra mussels aren’t the only invasive species that can impact Whitefish Lake and our local economy. An Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) response team—of which the Whitefish Lake Institute (WLI) was a member—responded to the discovery of Eurasian Watermilfoil at Beaver Lake in 2012. Bottom barriers were placed over the identified patch and a control/eradication plan was developed by a multiple agency workgroup in which the City of Whitefish and WLI participated.
Why We’re Concerned
Whitefish has prioritized this effort due to the proximity of Beaver Lake to Whitefish Lake, including hydrologic connectivity. If left untreated, EWM forms dense mats of vegetation on the surface of the water that can interfere with recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and boating, and that threatens the health of the water body. The resulting effect can be the loss of recreational use, decline in ecosystem health, and a decrease in lakefront property values. EWM reproduces successfully and very rapidly, making it a threat to any water body it invades.
Ongoing Efforts
Since 2012, WLI and the City of Whitefish have taken the lead in addressing the EWM issue at Beaver Lake. As part of the Whitefish AIS Management Plan, WLI coordinated a suction dredging operation to eradicate plants. Suction dredging involves a diver identification survey of single plants or plant communities and then suction dredging the plants from the roots to prevent fragmentation. In 2012, 23.5 pounds of EWM was removed. The program proved successful with fewer plants found each year. In 2018, diver surveys found no EWM in Beaver Lake indicating that EWM management efforts in Beaver Lake had been highly effective.
Unfortunately, in June 2019, EWM plants were again found near the boat ramp by a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) survey crew, and FWP assumed management of the Beaver Lake EWM issue with support of WLI staff. FWP divers found a small number of EWM plants and utilized a WLI suction dredger to remove them. After suction dredging, FWP also installed bottom barriers supplied by WLI near the boat ramp. WLI also conducts an annual AIS presence/absence survey on Whitefish Lake. No EWM or other invasive plant species have been found in Whitefish Lake. These efforts will continue in the future.
Because of the real threat to Whitefish Lake and the watershed, Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks—in partnership with WLI—will continue monitoring and suction dredging Beaver Lake until there is confidence that the EWM has been eradicated.
AIS Information Sources
