Page 4 - VLA Newsletter Fall 2022

The North St. Louis Soil and Water Conser- vation District (SWCD) have continued to staff watercraft inspectors at 11 different
boat landings around Lake Vermilion in 2022. The inspectors have conducted over 10,000 inspections
from the fishing opener weekend to the first of September. A watercraft decontamination unit was staffed
7 days a week at the Hoodoo Point North access and provided decon- tamination opportunities for those entering and exiting the lake. They also provide courtesy decontamina- tions for anyone who would like to have their live well, hull and engine
flushed with hot water. Courtesy decontaminations only take a few minutes and can help reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species. As long as the weather allows, watercraft inspectors will continue to inspect entering and exiting watercraft until the 23rd of October. As a reminder, if an inspector is not present at an access it is still the boaters responsibil- ity to conduct a self-inspection of watercraft, docks, or lifts. Report any suspicious invasive species to
the Vermilion Lake Association, the SWCD AIS Program Coordinator, or the Department of Natu- ral Resources. It takes all of us to stop the spread of invasive species. Always remember to Clean, Drain and Dry!
Jon Utecht
AIS Program Coord. No. St. Louis SWCD
Watercraft Inspection
More information on decontaminations and their availability around Minnesota can be found at: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/watercraft_inspect/courtesydecon.html
jon@nslswcd.org * 218-288-6142
LFall Clean Up: Time to Check for Zebra Mussels
ate summer or fall is a great time to check for zebra mussels. The Minnesota Department of Natu-
ral Resources has developed a program to track the spread of zebra mussels throughout the state. As docks, dock floats and supports, swimming platforms, boats, motors and anchors are removed, visually
inspect all the hard surfaces. Zebra mussels may attach to trim tabs, rubber gaskets, grooves along the keel of pontoon boats and sailboat centerboards. During early infestations, zebras are likely to be small (1⁄4 - 1⁄2 inch- es) and the number attached is likely to be low. Also inspect hard surfaces along the shoreline and in shallow water especially around boat accesses.
If you find zebras you can complete and send an online Volunteer Monitor Report Form at https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteering/zebramussel_monitoring/index.html by November 1 of each year. The report is helpful whether or not you found zebra mussels. Early detection for zebra mussels is important to protect Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.
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Find this newsletter, along
with previous issues at https://www.vermilionlakeassociation.org/
latest-news/
4 The Vermilion, Fall 2022
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