Awareness for boaters and invasive species

MARQUETTE — The Department of Natural Resources is trying to bring awareness of invasive species to boaters for this summer season.

Invasive species cause large amounts damage to ecosystems from the bottom of the food chain all the way up.
With simple steps, boaters can help keep Michigan’s waters healthy and keep the ecosystem from changing in a negative way.

“Anywhere that can hold any of these species we are asking people to clean, drain and dry for at least five days before they jump into another body of water,” said DNR Conservation Officer SGT. Ryan Aho. “If you are going back and forth to the same body of water it is not as crucial but it is still a good practice to remove any weeds and or anything that is attached to the boat.”

Many invasive plants, zebra and quagga mussels are moving into inland lakes, and there currently are no effective ways of removing these species once they move in to the habitats.
This is why the “clean, drain, dry” approach is critical to help avoid the spread of these invasive species.

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