Whether you live in Wyoming or are just here for a short time, if you’re hauling any kind of watercraft, you need to stop at all boat inspection stations you come across. Even if you already stopped at one, you are required to stop when you come to one.
Most of the time, the inspection isn’t going to find any aquatic nuisance species on your boat. That’s a good thing, even though it may seem an inconvenience to you that you had to stop. But in the event nuisance species are found on your watercraft, it can save you thousands of dollars in repairs – and save the state of Wyoming even more.
Aquatic nuisance species like zebra mussels and quagga mussels have been found in most of the states that surround us. If you put your boat or canoe in those waters and pick up some live hitchhikers, then come back to Wyoming and put your boat in our waters, those critters can drop off and cause an outbreak in the previously clean watersheds. And once they’re in there, they’re almost certainly impossible to get rid of.
And the damage they cause is not trivial. They can cause blockages of pipes in power generating systems, harm fish populations, and damage the expensive components of the boats they are carried in on.
All watercraft, including kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, are required to stop at these inspection stations between March 1 and Nov. 30. And if you hunt in one waterway in your waders, be sure to hose them off well and let them dry before you take them out again, too. Keep our waters free of these destructive, invasive species and help protect our infrastructure, fish populations and wild places.
