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State sets quarantine, inspection and decontamination requirements on Mid‑Snake after quagga mussel detections
Summary
The committee approved temporary rule docket 0206092406 establishing a quarantine area from Hansen Bridge to Broken Bridge on the Mid‑Snake River and requiring inspection and decontamination of watercraft launched or retrieved in that section.
The House Agriculture Affairs Committee approved a temporary rule (docket 0206092406) that defines the current quagga mussel quarantine area on the Mid‑Snake River and requires inspection and decontamination of watercraft launched or retrieved within the area.
Deputy Director Lloyd Knight and Nick Zirflue, bureau chief for invasive species, described the quarantine area as extending from the Hansen Bridge downstream to the Broken Bridge. Knight said the department adjusted the temporary quarantine several times during active treatment and monitoring and the current area corresponds to the last treatment and the department’s most recent findings.
Under the temporary rule, all watercraft launched in the defined stretch must be inspected and decontaminated by department personnel at inspection stations prior to launch and upon exit. Knight said the department’s priority has been to re-open recreational access as soon as treatment and monitoring permit, while maintaining mandatory inspection and decontamination protocols.
Committee members asked about mussel size and identification. Nick Zirflue said quagga and zebra mussels are small (generally reaching roughly a fingernail/pinky-nail size individually) and noted Idaho has several native and non‑invasive bivalves that can be confused with invasive mussels; the department’s hotline can accept photos for identification. The committee approved the quarantine rule by voice vote.
