ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds lake property owners to carefully check boats and trailers, docks and lifts, and all other water-related equipment for invasive species when removing equipment for seasonal storage.
This is important, as several new zebra mussel confirmations in recent years were initially reported by people removing docks, boats and boat lifts.
The DNR recommends these steps for lake property owners:
Look on the posts, wheels and underwater support bars of docks and lifts, as well as any parts of boats, pontoons and rafts that may have been submerged in water for an extended period.
Hire DNR-permitted lake service provider businesses to install or remove boats, docks, lifts and other water-related equipment. These businesses have attended training on Minnesota’s aquatic invasive species laws and many have experience identifying and removing invasive species.
Contact a DNR aquatic invasive species specialist if you think you’ve discovered an invasive species that has not already been confirmed in your lake.
More information is available at dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/index.html .
