GILLETTE, Wyo. — Watercraft inspection numbers reached a record high in 2024 as wildlife managers continue their efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in state waterways, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Per Game and Fish, department personnel inspected 78,157 watercraft and carried out 1,282 boat contaminations in 2024. The number of inspections from last year was up by more than 8,000 from the previous year and was the highest since the program started in 2010.
During inspections, AIS inspectors look for many kinds of invasive species, though the primary threats to Wyoming waterways are zebra and quagga mussels. Wyoming remains one of only five states in the country to not have confirmed populations of either mussel species and is surrounded by states with at least one waterbody containing mussels.
This last year, 47 watercraft were found to have mussels at check stations in 2024, around 62 less than in 2023. According to Game and Fish, 35 of those vessels were inspected outside of Evanston near the Utah border, which continues to be the busiest check station in the state.
Per Game and Fish, a watercraft harboring live zebra mussels was intercepted at the Beulah check station in northeast Wyoming near the South Dakota border. It was the only watercraft with verified live mussels discovered at a state check station in 2024 and had been moored for several months in Pactola Reservoir, where mussels have been identified.
Game and Fish AIS Coordinator Josh Leonard says while check stations were originally only open during the main boating season, the increasing AIS threat in the past few years reveals a need to have them remain open longer, even when the bulk of boaters are off the water.
“Situations like [Beulah] demonstrate the threat is at our borders and knocking on Wyoming’s door,” Leonard says. “Everyone in Wyoming or coming to Wyoming should be concerned and get involved.”
According to Game and Fish, zebra and quagga mussels can wreak havoc in freshwater ecosystems, cause severe damage to watercraft and cause a decline in tourism. Additionally, mussels can clog dam systems, municipal water pipes, irrigation systems and treatment facilities.
“An infestation in one of Wyoming’s water treatment facilities could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to remove the mussels, keep water flowing and mitigate damage,” Game and Fish says.
Under the right conditions, adult mussels can reproduce the moment they hit the water, and watercraft with these mussels could easily kickstart a new population, per Game and Fish.
Inspections are the first line of defense for many watercraft. Any watercraft transported into Wyoming between March and November must undergo mandatory inspections by an authorized inspector before launching on any Wyoming waterway, Game and Fish says.
Under Wyoming law, anyone with a watercraft must stop when they come upon an open AIS inspection station, even if they stopped at one prior or do not intend to launch in Wyoming, according to Game and Fish, which says this law applies to all motorized watercraft as well as nonmotorized kayaks, canoes, rafts and paddleboards.
