AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - September 2018 - 87

P&E

OWNERSHIP

The best defense
Stop the spread of zebra and quagga mussels
B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N

IT'S
YOUR
CHOICE

TAYLOR CALLERY

THE 2020 FAA MANDATE
DOES NOT REQUIRE
PILOTS TO USE
ADS-B WEATHER

SEAPLANES' LONG RANGES and ability to
drop into distant waterways give their pilots
a new responsibility: stopping the spread of
invasive species. Zebra and quagga mussels
have done tremendous harm in the Great
Lakes and Midwest waterways since the late
1980s-and, like boats, seaplanes have the
potential to transport them to other regions.
Biologists recently found evidence of
zebra mussels in the Flathead Lake area
of western Montana, and state officials
are moving quickly to protect the state's
crystal-clear lakes and rivers. Montana is
spending about $6 million a year to inspect
boats, canoes, and kayaks and inform
everyone who uses the lakes-especially
seaplane pilots-of the danger.
"Montana seaplane pilots are out front
on this issue because they realize the
threat invasive species pose to our pristine waters," said Willis Curdy, a former
U.S. Forest Service pilot and member of
the Montana House of Representatives.
"Seaplane pilots are very supportive and
want to protect our natural areas."
AOPA and the Seaplane Pilots
Association (SPA) jointly produced a video
on ways pilots can combat invasive species.
Best practices include:
* Pump out bilge water only in the waterway that it came from.
* Remove weeds and other vegetation
from floats prior to takeoff.

* Thoroughly clean the inside of float compartments-as well as ropes-with a water/
bleach mixture.
* Land in saltwater before touching down
in freshwater.
* Clean amphibious airplanes with hot
water on land before flying to lakes or rivers.
Zebra mussels originally came from the
Caspian and Black seas in southern Russia,
and oceangoing ships unknowingly transported them to Europe and North America.
The striped mussels first showed up in the
Great Lakes in 1988 and have done billions
of dollars in damage by clogging water
intakes at dams and electrical plants, and
decimating fisheries.
Washington state charges seaplane pilots
$24 a year for invasive species prevention
and mitigation, and some activists in other
states have proposed banning seaplanes
entirely. AOPA, SPA, and other aviation
organizations believe pilot education, certification, and decontamination of aircraft are
the most effective ways to address the issue.
"A lot of states are spending a lot of money
to confront this problem," said Montana's
Curdy. "We want to make seaplane pilots all
over the country more aware so that a pilot
flying from the Midwest to Seattle, for example, doesn't do any harm in places that haven't
been affected by invasive species."
AOPA
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 87

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AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - September 2018

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