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BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Authorities in Idaho and Washington say they have detained a boat believed to be contaminated by an invasive mussel, stopping the craft before it could enter Northwest waters still free of the aquatic menace.
The Idaho Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that it was able to track and detain the boat, which was destined for Spokane, Wash., and traveled through Idaho, Montana, Utah and Arizona. Authorities say the boat was last used in Nevada's Lake Mead, which is infested with zebra and quagga mussels.
The 26-foot boat, named "Hello," is being held in Spokane. Officials have not yet identified the mussel attached to the boat.
Efforts to track the vessel started when a Utah resident noticed a mussel on the craft traveling north on Interstate 15 into Montana.
Invasive mussels reproduce and spread rapidly, clogging machinery and water pipes and destroying aquatic ecosystems.
"There are so many implications if these species get into waters" in Washington and Idaho, said Sgt. Eric Anderson, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife statewide aquatic invasive species enforcement coordinator.
"It would be absolutely devastating to the economy and ecology if it got into the Columbia River system," he told The Associated Press.
Authorities have not yet decided whether to pursue criminal charges or identified the person transporting the craft. The boat is registered in Washington but has recently been repossessed, he said.
"There is no indication the boat was used in any waters outside of Lake Mead," Anderson said.
The boat was detained Tuesday, the same day Idaho officials approved a $1.8 million emergency measure to try to keep invasive quagga and zebra mussels out of Idaho waterways.
The state Board of Examiners approved the emergency money as part of a plan that requires boats entering Idaho to be inspected and possibly go through decontamination.
Besides inspection stations, the plan also includes a statewide billboard campaign, signs on highways and boat ramps, and monitoring and enforcement, The Spokesman-Review reported.
"The estimate right now is about 92 million bucks if we do nothing and just allow this very aggressive species to come in," said Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, chairman of the Board of Examiners. "We don't have a reservoir in the state of Idaho that isn't somebody's city water system."
Prime targets for the mussels are Idaho's extensive irrigation canals and ditches. Hydroelectric dams, fish hatcheries, marinas and drinking water systems can also be infested.
Lloyd Knight, administrator of the plant industries division at Idaho's Department of Agriculture, told the board there will be 10 or more inspection stations, mainly on highways that have a high amount of boat traffic from other states.
"We're trying to get some of this put together as soon as we can, before we get too far into the boating season," he said.
In the last legislative session, Idaho lawmakers approved $1.5 million for the program, which will be paid for with stickers that Idaho boaters must purchase. The fine for not having a sticker is $57.
Washington is also taking steps to guard against infestation, including posting signs at marinas and boat ramps, spot check stations for vessels being towed on major highways and, as a last resort, citations and fines for boat owners failing to decontaminate boats.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
