Clean Boats, Clean Lakes!

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - November 3, 2017 - News, Prior Lake

Cleaning stations at local lakes could help prevent the spread of AIS in MN. This cleaning station is located at Bryant Lake Park in Eden Prairie.

Zebra mussels. Curlyleaf pondweed. Eurasian watermilfoil. Spiny waterflea. Aquatic invasive species continue to wreak havoc on Minnesota lakes and many popular lakes around the state have been invaded by at least one invasive species. Lake Minnetonka, Lake Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, White Bear Lake are all infested with aquatic invasive species. Closer to home, Upper & Lower Prior Lake, Pike Lake and O’Dowd Lake are too.

Given the media coverage on AIS, it might seem like every lake is doomed. However, only 5% of Minnesota’s 11,000 lakes are on the DNR’s list of infested waters¹. And that’s where the public comes in.

You can help keep invasive species from spreading to the rest of Minnesota’s lakes by following the CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY motto. Check and clean your boat every time you take your boat out of a lake and double check that your boat is clean before putting it into another lake or river.

Boat inspectors can’t be everywhere and in the rush of getting on or off the lake, many people forget or don’t realize they need to check their boat and drain any water. To address this problem, the Minnesota-based company, CD3, has developed a watercraft cleaning station.

The CD3 cleaning stations are equipped with a suite of tools to help boater quickly clean their boats and trailers with the help of a wet/dry vacuum, air compressor, drain plug wrench, scrub brush and squeegee as well as overhead and foot-level lights. The stations are free for users. Staff can monitor station usage and many maintenance needs remotely.

You can see a station in action here or visit Bryant Lake Park in Eden Prairie to see one for yourself.

Five CD3 stations were installed in Minnesota this year as a pilot project: four at metro area lakes and one in Duluth. The pilots have gone well; to date the stations have been used close to 7,000 times this year.

While a cleaning station would not be a silver bullet to preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species, it would serve as another tool to educate the public and get people into the habit of cleaning their boats.

What can I do?

You can help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. Take three steps every time you leave a lake or river – whether or not it’s infested:

Clean all aquatic plants, zebra mussels, and other invasive species from boats, trailers, and water-related equipment.
Drain water from your boat, ballast tanks, motor, live well and bait container. Remove drain plugs and keep drain plugs out while transporting equipment.
Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. To keep live bait, drain the water and refill the bait container with bottled or tap water.

Source: MN DNR www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html

View Full Article AIS, aquatic invasive species, invasive species

FREE Boating Cleaning @ Prior Lake public accesses this fall

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - September 18, 2017 - News, Prior Lake

A DNR decontamination unit at the Sand Point public access in August.

This fall, there will be a decontamination unit from the DNR stationed at the public boat launches on both Upper and Lower Prior lakes for lake users, including residents taking their boats out of the water for winter storage. The DNR will clean boats for FREE to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) through September 28th. The public accesses are located at Sand Point Beach on Lower Prior Lake and at Dewitt Ave. on Upper Prior Lake.

View Full Article AIS, Lower Prior, Prior Lake, Upper Prior, aquatic invasive species, boat launch, boat storage, decontamination units, lake residents, public access

Carp Management Update

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - July 13, 2016 - News, Carp Management

Splish, splash, have the carp been taking a bath? Nope! The carp may have been splashing up a storm in May and June but they were spawning, not taking a bath. Like most fish, spring is spawning time for carp once the water warms up. We’ve been busy keeping tabs on the carp with help from our partners, Tony Havranek and Mary Headrick at WSB & Associates.

In May, three more carp were tagged on Spring Lake and eight more on Prior Lake. This brings the total number of tagged carp to 26 between the two lakes, with ten on Spring Lake and sixteen on Prior Lake. The remaining four radiotags will be implanted in carp this fall.

Figure 1. Mary Headrick, one of our carp gurus from WSB, with a koi carp caught on Spring Lake. The koi carp was likely released into the lake. Never dump fish from aquariums or private ponds into local lakes or wetlands.

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View Full Article Prior Lake, Spring Lake, aquatic invasive species, carp, carp management

Managing Aquatic Plants: Balancing Priorities for Healthy Lakes

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - July 11, 2016 - Ongoing Projects, News, Monitoring

Minnesota has nearly 150 species of aquatic plants, most of which are native species. Maybe you have encountered some of them while enjoying nearby lakes. To some, aquatic vegetation is a nuisance: plants that brush your legs while swimming or catch your fishing line sure don’t seem helpful at the time. But did you know that these same plants can actually help create conditions suitable for recreation? Although each person may view the plant kingdom with varying opinions, aquatic plants do play an important role in creating a healthy lake ecosystem.

Ducks are one example of wildlife that require aquatic plants for habitat.

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View Full Article AIS, Aquatic plants, Spring Lake, Water quality, aquatic invasive species, plant management, weeds

DNR News Release: Mandatory training required for aquatic invasive species violators

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - May 11, 2016 - News

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued the following news release on May 11, 2016:

Mandatory training required for aquatic invasive species violators

Starting this boating season, anyone found guilty of violating Minnesota’s aquatic invasive species laws will not only have to pay the required fines but will also have to complete mandatory training. The short “Clean In Clean Out” training must be completed before people found guilty of violating Minnesota’s aquatic invasive species laws can legally operate their watercraft anywhere in the state.

Mississippi, Hastings access, boat cleaning area

“The class is free and easy to take either online or with a paper home-study,” said April Rust, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invasive species training coordinator. “Anyone interested in learning more about how to protect Minnesota waters from invasive species can also take the free online class.”

The “Clean In Clean Out” training is available on the training page.

“Minnesotans overall are doing the right things, and the rate of compliance with aquatic invasive species laws is increasing every year,” said Maj. Todd Kanieski, DNR Enforcement operations manager. “The few individuals who violate these laws are the highest risk factor for infesting a lake or river. We want to not only help people avoid a citation but, more importantly, keep 95 percent of Minnesota’s lakes off the infested waters list.”

Boaters and anglers can comply with Minnesota’s invasive species laws by remembering Clean, Drain, Dispose:

Clean aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species from watercraft,
Drain lake or river water from all equipment and keep drain plugs out during transport, and
Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash, not in the water.

Lake property owners are reminded that docks and lifts must be cleaned and allowed to dry for at least 21 days before moving them to another body of water.

More information about aquatic invasive species and how to prevent their spread is on the aquatic invasive species page.

View Full Article aquatic invasive species, boating