Boise, Idaho — The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) watercraft inspection stations have begun inspecting watercraft for the 2025 season.

The ISDA Invasive Species Program reminds boaters to take precautions to avoid transporting invasive species, such as quagga and zebra mussels. All boat owners must stop for mandatory inspection when traveling past an Idaho watercraft inspection station during operating hours.

“Preventing the spread of invasive species is critical to protecting Idaho’s natural resources and economy,” said Chanel Tewalt, Director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. “Stopping at watercraft inspection stations and following the simple steps of cleaning, draining, and drying your watercraft are essential to ensuring Idaho’s waters thrive for generations to come. It is up to all of us—boaters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts—to take responsibility in safeguarding our waters from invasive species.”

Idaho law requires all out-of-state watercraft to be inspected and decontaminated at a watercraft inspection station prior to launch. Before launching a watercraft in Idaho, nonresident owners must also purchase an invasive species sticker.

Before transporting any watercraft, Idaho law requires operators to remove the drain plug and drain all water, including from internal compartments such as ballasts, bilges, live wells, and motors. All bilge and ballast plugs and other barriers that prevent water drainage must be removed and remain open while a watercraft is transported by land within the state.

Watercraft owners can help prevent the spread of invasive species by following three simple steps:

• Clean all equipment before leaving any waterbody, removing visible plants and animals.
• Drain water from all compartments, including motors, live wells, and boats. Pull the boat’s bilge plug and allow water to drain.
• Dry all equipment thoroughly before using the watercraft in a different waterbody.

When entering the state, boat owners should look for road signage and electronic message boards directing them to inspection stations. All watercraft and water-related equipment, regardless of size or propulsion, motorized or non-motorized, are required to stop.

In 2024, the program performed more than 156,885 watercraft inspections, a 44 percent increase from 2023. Throughout the history of the program, Idaho stations have performed over one million inspections.

Watercraft Inspection Stations are Idaho’s first line of defense against the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species like quagga mussels. Established quagga mussel infestations have major impacts on fish populations, wildlife habitat, and infrastructure, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in actual and indirect costs.

Boaters can contact the ISDA Invasive Species Hotline for further information or a free decontamination wash for watercraft: (877) 336-8676. More information on the operation and location of inspection stations is available on the Invasive Species of Idaho website https://invasivespecies.idaho.gov.

 

Media Contact:

Sydney Kennedy

Public Information Officer

(208) 986-1566

media@isda.idaho.gov