FWP hopes to revamp Tiber Marina by moving inspection station
Tiber Marina is just one of five locations where you can launch your boat at Tiber Reservoir.
“We have to figure out a way to get the business coming back down here and be able to work with the fish and game and to make sure everything stays safe,” Shawn Norick said.
Norick is a concessionaire for Tiber Marina and can vouch that business has been slow ever since the reservoir tested positive for an invasive species: mussels.
FWP is stepping up, along with the Bureau of Reclamation, to relocate an AIS watercraft inspection station at the marina.
“The mussel issue is a big issue. It’s not just a Montana issue, it’s a west wide issue, where there’s concern that we do have mussels in the water out there and boats can transport those to different locations,” FWP Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau Chief Thomas Woolf said.
In addition to relocating the inspection station, they hope to eventually have campsites for housing the staff.
“The main priority is the boats are clean coming out of Tiber, but we're also dedicated to public access as well,” Woolf said.
FWP said the best thing a boater can do is to always make sure their boats are cleaned, drained, and dry.
“Choosing the right location for inspection really ensures the safety for Montana waters. We're just unfortunate enough that we got to be the spot that tested positive,” Norick said.