Responsible boating and invasive species

We all play a part in keeping our lakes free of Aquatic Invasive Species

The threat to our lakes posed by aquatic invasive species, such as Milfoil or Zebra Mussels, has been in the news and on our radar ever since the DNR announced it wanted to put a public access on Big Pequaywan. This issue is even more a hot topic with the confirmation that VHS, a virus that has caused fish kills elsewhere on the Great Lakes, is now in Lake Superior.

In recognition of the connection between these invasives and public accesses, the Lake Association passed a resolution last summer asking for a moratorium on public accesses until the DNR solves the problem of the spread for these invasives. Coalition (MSRPO) is supporting a five-year moratorium as well as increased fines for
transporting these invasives.

The five-year delay is intended to give resource managers and the public time to discover the best way to stop the spread of AIS throughout the land of 10,000 lakes. There are over 5000 fishable lakes in Minnesota larger than 100 acres. 2000 lakes already have public access.

Despite the Association resolution and many letters to the DNR from cabin owners asking them to reconsider the access, there is no indication that they are doing so.
In the meantime, all of us can play a role in reducing the chances that our lakes get infested. The Association considers this issue one of its top action items this year.

This is a very serious issue because some of these species are very difficult, if not impossible, to remove once a lake is infected. And the cost of doing so would be born by property owners (not the DNR). Once a lake is infected, fishing, swimming and boating can all be ruined.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service lists these impacts these species have on lakes:
• Reduce game fish populations
• Ruin boat engines and jam steering equipment
• Make lakes unusable by boaters and swimmers
• Reduce native species
• Reduce property values

As much as we all like to be nice to our friends, if they ask if they can bring their boat to your cabin to put it in the lake, the safe thing is to say no. A better alternative is to let them use your boat instead.

And if you take your boat from Pequaywan Lakes to area lakes, including Lake Superior and the St. Louis River, you could be bringing back unwelcomed company. Fish Lake, Island Lake and Pike Lake are some of the nearby lakes that are also infested. The DNR is considering large fines for boaters who spread these species from lake to lake.

These invasive species can hide in bait buckets, boat trailers, wheel wells, etc. And some like Spiny water fleas or Zebra Mussels can travel when they are in a microscopic stage and impossible to see, so a visual examination of your boat is not going to be enough. And boat washes have not been found to be totally affective.

And don’t forget the hazards of that bait bucket.

Existing law prevents the harvest of minnows or fish as bait from any Minnesota water designated as “infested waters.” Lake Superior has been in that category for several years.

We know that sometimes there seems like more “No’s” in life than anything else. But these invasive species can really make a lake unsuitable for all forms of recreation as well as destroy the native fishing population.

It’s not just worth the risk. Please talk to your neighbors about the risk if you see him or her bringing boats or jet skies into our lakes. We all need to do our part to keep our lakes clear of these invasives.

The Lake Association will be distributing more information this summer on how all of us can help prevent these destructive species from entering our lakes.

And you can find out more on these websites: