The Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources is reminding lake property owners to carefully
check boats and trailers, docks and lifts, and all other water-related
equipment for invasive species when removing equipment for seasonal storage.
This is important as new zebra mussel infestations were initially reported by
people making end of season inspections of docks, boats and boat lifts.
“These recent
confirmations serve as a reminder of the importance of carefully examining all
equipment when taking it out of the water,” said Heidi Wolf, DNR invasive
species unit supervisor.
It’s especially
important to follow Minnesota’s law and keep docks and boat lifts out of the
water for at least 21 days before putting them into another body of water. This
state law is central to the training DNR-permitted lake service provider
businesses receive. Anyone transporting a dock or lift from the adjacent
shoreline property to another location for storage or repair may need a permit, to help prevent
the spread of aquatic invasive species.
The DNR
recommends these steps for lake property owners:
- Look on the posts, wheels and underwater support bars of docks and lifts, as well as any parts of boats, pontoons and rafts that may have been submerged in water for an extended period.
- Hire DNR-permitted lake service provider businesses to install or remove boats, docks, lifts and other water-related equipment. These businesses have attended training on Minnesota’s aquatic invasive species laws and many have experience identifying and removing invasive species.
- Contact your area DNR aquatic invasivespeciesspecialist if you think you have discovered an invasive species that has not already been confirmed in your lake.
More information
is available at www.mndnr.gov/AIS.
