(Wahpeton)– With the boating season getting started, lakes area officials are again reminding everyone of the dangers of invasive species and what they can do to keep them out of the Iowa Great Lakes.
Eurasian Watermilfoil and zebra mussels are the two most common types, but there are others as well, such as silver carp and bighead carp.
Phil Petersen of the Iowa Great Lakes Water Safety Council is reminding everyone to make sure their boats are clean of any weeds before putting them into the water; drain water from your boat, motor, live well and bilge before leaving a body of water; dispose of unwanted bait in the trash; rinse or dry your boat, trailer and fishing equipment to remove or kill any species that may be attached; and learn to identify aquatic nuisance species and report any sightings to the nearest DNR fisheries station.
Petersen says when it comes to invasive species, it’s much better to be preventive than trying to treat it after the fact.
An informational meeting to talk about invasive species will be held at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 3rd at Lakeside Lab on West Lake Okoboji. Kim Bogenshutz, Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will be the keynote speaker.
