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1. Follow the
Prevention Steps & Know the
Laws:
To help prevent the spread of aquatic
invasive species, follow these simple steps:
REMOVE
any attached aquatic plants or animals (before
launching, after loading & before
transporting on a public highway).
DRAIN all water from boats, motors and all equipment.
DON'T MOVE live fish away from a waterbody.
DISPOSE of unwanted bait in the trash.
BUY minnows from a Wisconsin bait dealer. Use
leftover minnows only under certain conditions.*
It's the law; fines may exceed $2,000.
*You may take leftover minnows away from any state
water and use them again on that same water. You
may use leftover minnows on other waters only if no lake
or river water, or other fish were added to their
container. For more information, visit
Wisconsin DNR Take Action to Stop Aquatic Invasives! website.
2. Become a Clean Boats, Clean Waters
Volunteer:
Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) began in
a northern Wisconsin middle school as the “Milfoil
Masters” and has blossomed into a statewide AIS
education and prevention program with volunteers of all
ages and backgrounds.
CBCW goals are to prevent new AIS
introductions, limit the spread of existing AIS, and
abate their harmful impacts.
Watercraft inspection volunteers are the
heart of the program. Armed with knowledge of AIS
identification, legislation, and proper aquatic plant
management, volunteers are posted at boat landings
across the state. The volunteers befriend and educate
boaters about the threat of AIS and what they can do to
help.
Volunteers demonstrate where and how
invasive species might hitch a ride by walking boaters
through a watercraft and trailer inspection. All
boaters the volunteers meet are asked to participate in
a statewide survey regarding their knowledge of AIS
issues, legislation and personal practices.
Statewide, the program has had an
overwhelmingly positive response and there have been
significant reductions in AIS introductions. The
efforts and commitment of the CBCW volunteers play a
roll in the reduction of AIS.
For more information on how to become a
CBCW volunteer, contact the Florence County LCD or visit
the
UW Extension Clean Boats, Clean Waters website.
2010 Workshop Dates
Saturday, May 1, 2010 COMPLETE
Florence
Natural Resources and Wild Rivers Interpretive Center
9am to
noon
Saturday, May 29, 2010
COMPLETE
Long
Lake
9am to
noon
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Florence
Town Hall
4pm to
6pm
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Hillcrest School in the Town of Aurora
9am to noon
3. Become a Citizen Lake Monitoring Network Volunteer:
 The Citizen Lake Monitoring Network (CLMN)
provides an opportunity for local residents to take an
active role in lake management by monitoring water
quality of lakes in their area.
Local volunteers donate their time,
expertise, and enthusiasm for lakes and CLMN provides
all necessary water quality equipment and training.
CLMN volunteers monitor water clarity, water chemistry,
aquatic plants, and aquatic invasive species.
Findings are used by DNR lake biologists,
fisheries experts, water regulation and zoning staff and
can also be shared with lake associations, neighbors,
and other groups and agencies.
Water Clarity
Volunteers measure water clarity with a
Secchi disk. The 8-inch diameter black and white disk is
lowered into the water on a rope until it can no longer
be seen, then this depth is recorded. Tracking your
lake’s clarity over time may help identify a problem
early on.
Water Chemistry
After a year of water clarity monitoring
some volunteers begin water chemistry monitoring. These
monitors sample four to five times a year for clarity,
phosphorus, chlorophyll, and lake temperature. With this
information, the trophic state (overall health) of your
lake can be measured more reliably. Some chemistry
monitors also take a dissolved oxygen profile of their
lake. Openings for chemistry monitoring are limited and
depend on the interest of the volunteers and the needs
of the lake.
Aquatic Plant Monitoring Aquatic
plants are another indicator of lake health and are an
essential part of a healthy lake ecosystem. A decrease
in diversity or increase in one species may be an early
warning of changing water quality. Volunteers are
trained to collect and press their lake’s aquatic
plants. Materials are provided to help identify aquatic
plants and to help the observer map the location and
size of plant beds.
Aquatic Invasive Species Early
detection is the best and cheapest way to control
invasive species. All volunteers are encouraged to watch
for Eurasian water milfoil and purple loosestrife and
may be trained to identify a number of other aquatic
invaders. If a suspicious plant is spotted, a sample can
be sent to the DNR or LCD for identification.
For more information on how to become a
CLMN volunteer, contact the Florence County LCD or visit
the
UW Extension Citizen Lake Monitoring Network website.
2010 AIS Workshop Dates
Saturday June 5, 2010
COMPLETE
US
Forest Service Lost Lake Cabins in the Chequamegon-Nicolet
National Forest
Long
Lake, WI
9am to
noon
Bring a
canoe and life jacket for an optional on-the-water
demonstration!
Contact Maureen at
invasives@co.florence.wi.us
or (715) 528-5940 for directions or more information.
For the statewide list of workshops, visit the
UW Extension CLMN Workshops website.
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What
can you do about aquatic invasive species?