The project focus is implementation of a watercraft inspection and decontamination program in 2024 and 2025 for western south dakota bureau of reclamation and forest service reservoirs

This $360,000 federal Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Fish and Aquatic Conservation - Aquatic Invasive Species (CFDA 15.608) program funds the implementation of a watercraft inspection and decontamination program in western South Dakota in 2024-2025. The goal is to mitigate the spread of invasive zebra mussels into key reservoirs managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and Forest Service, including Shadehill, Belle Fourche, Deerfield, Sheridan, and Angostura Reservoirs. The program will operate inspection stations 10 hours per day, 7 days per week, to limit the introduction and spread of zebra mussels into these water bodies. This award supports partnerships with state and federal agencies to implement prevention, containment, and outreach efforts that align with the priorities of the Quagga-Zebra Mussel Action Plan (QZAP) for the Western United States.

The goal of this program is to mitigate the spread of zebra mussels into western south dakota from already infested waters, with the 2024 objective of the western watercraft inspection and decontamination program being to mitigate zebra mussel introduction into shadehill, belle fourche, deerfield, sheridan, and angostura reservoirs and mitigate pactola reservoir zebra mussels from spreading to new waters. Qzap priorities addressed by this project include, protecting western ecosystems through support and or establishment of prevention programs, limiting the spread of invasive mussels through containment by increasing compliance with federal, state, local and tribal laws, and increasing the effectiveness of outreach and education efforts to help advance prevention efforts. Through partnerships with the U.S. Bureau of reclamation, the U.S. Forest service, and the west dakota water development district, and USFWS inspection stations are being operated 10 hours per day, 7 days per week in 2024 at the water listed above. Now that zebra mussels have made their way west of the missouri river into pactola reservoir, 14 miles west of rapid city, IT is important to continue mitigation efforts for surrounding waterbodies.