October 12, 2017 - 10:14 PM
KALISPELL, Mont. - Montana regulators fear seaplanes could be the cause of invasive mussels showing up in two Montana reservoirs.
The Daily Inter Lake reported Wednesday that biologists first detected the invasive zebra and quagga mussels in the Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs last year, spurring a massive effort to scrub boats of mussels and their larvae.
But now, regulators fear seaplanes should have also been targeted for cleaning.
The Flathead Basin Commission and seaplane pilots' groups are figuring out how they can perform inspections on the planes. The commission originally considered banning the planes because of the outbreak, but seaplane pilot Paul Olechowski's attorney Pam Bucy sent a letter to commissioners proposing they instead implement a decontamination policy.
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Information from: Daily Inter Lake, http://www.dailyinterlake.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2017