One of Montana’s most popular state parks, Lake Elmo in the Billings Heights, should be drained before next winter to kill off invasive Asian clams.
That’s the recommendation of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' staff in its draft environmental assessment. Draining the lake should kill the clams either by freezing or starving them. People may comment on the draft EA and its recommendations through Nov. 18.
As long as the 65-acre lake is being drained, FWP is also recommending additional work if funding can be found. The projects could include removing 10 acres of sediment from the lake bed, building piers, creating sunken structures for fish, a boardwalk between the shoreline and Lake Elmo Drive, fishing nodes along the boardwalk, work on the dog park shoreline and a sediment retention area.
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If all of the items on the wish list could be built, the cost would total $750,000. FWP is seeking partners for the work. The Billings chapter of PikeMasters has already offered up $20,000 to help with jetty construction.
Clams
Asian clams were found in Lake Elmo in 2019 by FWP employees training to search lakes for aquatic invasive species. Subsequent searches of an irrigation storage reservoir and ditches and rivers upstream and downstream from the lake found no other Asian clams, suggesting they are limited to Lake Elmo. The invasive clams are found nowhere else in Montana.
How the clams got into the lake is uncertain. Because they were found near the dock they may have hitched a ride on a boat. Someone could have emptied an aquarium into the lake, or they could have arrived attached to someone’s fishing waders. The clams can also be eaten by a fish or turtle and pass through them undigested.
The fear is that the clams, if not killed off, could spread and clog irrigation and other water system infrastructure or infest the Yellowstone River.
Because both live juveniles and the shells of adults and juveniles were discovered in the lake, they appear to have successfully reproduced in Lake Elmo and have possibly been there for several years.
Native to eastern and southern Asia, one clam can start a population because they can self-fertilize and cross-fertilize, producing a million or more offspring in a lifetime.
Draw down
Already this fall Lake Elmo has been drawn down by 2 to 3 feet to try to kill Asian clams in shallow water near the shore. Most of the clams found to date in the lake have been in less than 6 feet of water.
If the proposed action is approved, the lake would be completely drained next fall, requiring some pumping. Prior to that, fishing regulations could be liberalized to encourage removal of as many fish as possible by anglers.
Once drained, residents near Lake Elmo would note a rotting smell for a week or two as the lake bed is exposed. During the winter, once the lake bed is dry, excavation and other projects could be started. The plan calls for refilling and restocking the lake by April 2022.
“Catchable-size trout would be introduced as soon as possible. Fathead minnows, yellow perch, channel catfish, bluegills and largemouth bass may be available from the Miles City Hatchery and stocking of those species would be initiated as available,” according to the draft EA.
The full 60-page environmental assessment, including preferred alternatives, is on the FWP website at http://fwp.mt.gov. Follow the links to “news,” “environmental assessments” and “restoration & rehabilitation.”
Questions may be directed to Mike Ruggles, FWP’s regional fisheries program manager, at 247-2961 during business hours. Comments may be emailed to fwpregion5pc@mt.gov or mailed to: Mike Ruggles, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, 2300 Lake Elmo Drive, Billings, MT 59105.
Breathtaking aerial photographs of Montana rivers and lakes
Breathtaking aerial photographs of Montana rivers and lakes
Big Lake aerial
An aerial view shows Big Lake filled with water. The shallow lake near Molt is in the Halfbreed N.W.R.
Bighorn Canyon aerial
Snow covers the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and the Pryor Mountains in this aerial view.
Bighorn Canyon aerial
An aerial view shows Bighorn Lake at full pool.
Black Eagle Dam aerial
The Missouri River roars over the Black Eagle Dam in Great Falls.
Canyon Ferry aerial
An aerial view shows the Missouri River flowing into Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Helena in this aerial view.
Confluence of the Bighorn and Yellowstone Rivers
An aerial view shows the confluence of the Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers.
Cooney Reservoir aerial
The sun rises over Cooney Reservoir near Boyd in this aerial view.
Earthquake Lake aerial
Earthquake Lake was created by the landslide seen in this aerial photo. The visitor center sits atop the slide debris
Ennis Lake aerial
An aerial view shows Ennis Lake on the Madison River.
Flathead Lake aerial
The community of Polson and Flathead Lake in an aerial view.
Fort Peck aerial
An aerial view of the the Fort Peck dam and ice covering the lake.
Fort Peck Lake aerial
The sun rises over Montana's Fort Peck Lake in this aerial photograph.
Hebgen Lake aerial
An aerial view shows Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone.
Hebgen Lake aerial
Wind blows foam into long strings as storm clouds gather over Hebgen Lake.
Holter Lake aerial
Holter Lake shows the bends of the Missouri River in this aerial photograph near Helena, Montana.
Lake McDonald aerial view
An aerial view shows Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.
Milk and Missouri rivers
Boaters run through the mixture of Milk and Missouri River waters near the confluence below Fort Peck Lake in this aerial view.
Mission Creek aerial
Mission Creek dumps milky water into the clear Flathead River near the town of Agency in this aerial view.
Missouri RIver aerial
The Missouri River winds toward Great Falls in this aerial view.
Musselshell River and UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge
The UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge, shown here surrounded by water on three sides, is just north of where the Musselshell River, at lower right, flows into Fort Peck Reservoir. This aerial view was shot in June 2015.
Mystic Lake aerial
Snow and ice covers Mystic Lake in early June during an unusually cool spring in 2011.
Nelson Reservoir aerial
The sun rises over the shoreline of Nelson Reservoir in this aerial view near Saco.
Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam aerial
Aerial view of the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam (formerly known as Kerr Dam) on Flathead Lake near Polson.
Tiber Dam aerial
Tiber Dam forms Lake Elwell in this aerial view.
Yellowstone River aerial
An aerial view shows the Yellowstone River winding past Billings.The undammed river provides countless opportunities for recreation in the Billings area.
Yellowstone River aerial
The Yellowstone River flows past Young's Point near Park City.
