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Committee approves Mid-Snake River quagga-mussel quarantine area; watercraft inspections required in treated stretch
Summary
The committee approved a temporary rule defining the quagga-mussel quarantine on the Mid-Snake River from Hansen Bridge downstream to Broken Bridge, requiring inspection and decontamination of watercraft launched in the quarantined stretch.
The committee approved a temporary quarantine area and operational rule for quagga mussel response on the Mid-Snake River (docket 0206092406). Lloyd Knight, deputy director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, said the quarantine boundary currently runs from the Hansen Bridge downstream to the Broken Bridge.
Under the temporary rule, all watercraft launched within that stretch are required to be inspected and decontaminated by department stations prior to launch and upon exit from the river. Knight said the department amended the quarantine area several times during treatment and survey operations to allow necessary response actions and to reopen access with restrictions as soon as treatment work and sampling allowed it.
Nick Zirflue, bureau chief for invasive species, answered questions about differentiating quagga mussels from native bivalves and encouraged public reporting through the department's invasive-species hotline. Knight cautioned that individual quagga mussels are small, typically no larger than a fingernail, though they can form dense colonies if left unchecked.
Representatives who visited the treated area praised the department's rapid response and sampling program. Representative McCann moved approval and the committee adopted the temporary quarantine-area rule by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
Knight said the department expects the quarantine area to remain in place as needed and will adjust boundaries if monitoring finds new infestations or if further treatments are required.
