(Boone)– The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is urging everyone to be vigilant this fall as boats, docks and hoists come out of the water. Kim Bogenschutz is the Fishery Bureau’s Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator the the DNR…
”We know that there are zebra mussels in the Spirit Lake/Okoboji chain of lakes but not necessarily the lakes around them. And with some of the new infestations of milfoil popping up, we try to treat it but that stuff can get wrapped around docks as well. So we just want people to be aware, to look. If they see something that doesn’t look normal to contact either the local DNR office there in Spirit Lake or one of the officers, or contact me down at the Boone office.”
Bogenschutz says if you do happen to find something out of the ordinary, you should try to preserve it…
“They can put it in a sealed container, so whether that be a ziploc bag, an ice cream pail with a lid, something like that. And if it’s a plant, actually wrap it in a wet paper towel and put it in a ziploc bag and take it to the office. As long as it’s in a sealed container it can be transported to a location for identification.”
And with fewer people out and about on waterways this time of year, Bogenschutz says it’s important everyone be vigilant…
“They’re extra eyes out there for us. We can’t be everywhere and looking at everything and so if they see something unusual we certainly want them to let us know. And also, if they can take a really clear picture and email it to us, that works as well. But sometimes for the plants we really need the actual physical plant to determine what it is.”
You can learn more about aquatic invasive species by going to www.iowadnr.gov/ais.
