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Flathead Lake Bio Station Gets Funding For Research Boat Fixes

Flathead Lake Biological Station research boat, Jessie-B.
Courtesy Flathead Lake Biological Station

The Flathead Lake Biological Station has received funding to fix up one of their oldest research boats. The Jessie-B is a research vessel used for long term monitoring and has been the main boat for working on Flathead Lake.Tom Bansak, a research scientist and Development Coordinator at the station says the Jessie-B is also 25-years-old and in need of repair.

“The boat can do everything we need it to do, it can do exactly what  it was designed to do," said Bansak. "It’s just mechanically in need of repair and we need to remedy that lack of reliability that comes with all of the engines, all the power trains, all the hydraulics, all the everything being 25-years-old.”

Bansak spends the majority his time lately working on raising money for the station’s multiple projects. Last month, it made a request for donations. They received numerous gifts from mostly anonymous sources towards the necessary engines. Bansak says they have surpassed their goal.

“We have over 90,000 dollars in hand and that should get it done if there are no unexpected complications.”

The station is currently in the final stages of planning, and they expect the project to be completed this spring.

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