Overview of WAPOA fight against invasive species- January 2012

Marv Erdman gives January 2012 report on season just finished


Let's keep those Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Plants and Animals out of our Waters!

AIS signWAPOA volunteers checked boats at accesses for invasive species


WAPOA volunteers, partnering with the DNR, completed their sixth season spending countless hours educating and helping boaters check their boats & trailers at the public accesses. 

 

Eurasian watermilfoil can hitchhike on the boat and trailer, and the destructive zebra mussel can be carried in the boat, motor, bilge, live wells, and bait containers.


Help us by volunteering, and by letting your friends and neighbors know the importance of being vigilant about the prevention and spread of AIS.


  • WAPOA hired professional plant experts to search for early invaders

WAPOA uses a portion of your membership dollars to hire professional plant experts.

 

We contract PLM Professional Lake & Land Management to do regular inspections on the one-acre of lake water immediately surrounding the boat access ramps, resorts and marinas — the high-risk areas.

 

We have them do this on nearly 30 locations both on and off the Chain twice each year.  If we can catch it soon enough, there may be hope of treatment and containment. 

 

Again, neither Eurasian watermilfoil nor zebra mussels were found in 2011.


 

  • WAPOA distributes over 5000 packets of invasive species information directly to boaters

WAPOA partnered with Crow Wing County Lakes And Rivers Alliance to obtain a nearly $11,000 grant to enhance public awareness of the dangers of AIS to Whitefish Area lakes.


  Volunteers assembled 10,000 bags of AIS educational and informative materials and handed out half of them to boaters by cruising the roads around our lakes and placing these bags on boat trailers found in the public access parking lots. 


This project will start up again to finish handing out the remaining bags shortly after the ice goes to ensure covering the Minnesota Fishing Opener and Memorial & Fourth of July weekends.

 

[Ed.note: Marv Erdman spotlights much more of WAPOA's fight against invasive species here....]