What You Can Do
Take Action to Stop Aquatic Invasive Species!

Slow the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species to Lakes, Rivers, and Wetlands

• Aquatic Plant Management
  Many aquatic plant management and nuisance control activities require a permit issued by the Department. This link outlines the various laws and contacts for dealing with aquatic invasive plants.

The primary way aquatic invasive species spread to new waters is often through the very people who most enjoy those waters. Zebra mussels and Eurasian watermilfoil actually hitch a ride on boats and trailers and in live wells, traveling from one lake to another. It is illegal for anybody to launch a boat with zebra mussels or aquatic plants attached.

Posted signs like these and others remind boaters to always remove all aquatic plants and to drain Water from boats and trailers to aviod accidentally transporting invasive species.

Remember, allows game wardens or other state law enforcement officers to prohibit someone from placing a boat in the water if aquatic plants or zebra mussels are attached to the boat

To prevent accidentally transporting invasive species:

• INSPECT your boat, trailer and equipment and REMOVE visible aquatic plants, animals and mud before leaving the water access area.
• DRAIN water from livewells, bilge, motor, bait buckets and transom wells before leaving the access area.
• EMPTY bait buckets into the trash.
• DRY the boat and equipment for at least five days before transferring to a new lake.
• If drying isn't possible, RINSE boat, tackle, downriggers and trailers with hot (above 104 degrees F) and/or SPRAY with high-pressure water.
• Learn what invasive organisms look like and REPORT questionable species to your local DNR office for identification assistance; preserved specimens are needed to confirm sightings.

Other Resources:

Become a Clean Boats, Clean Waters Volunteer

With the growing concern over the spread of aquatic invasive species to Wisconsin’s inland lakes, many lake association members and other concerned citizens are looking for ways to get involved. The Clean Boats, Clean Waters Program [Exit DNR] provides one opportunity to take a front line defense against the spread of aquatic invasive species. Through the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program, adult and youth volunteers will:

• Learn how to organize and conduct a boater education program in their community.
• Educate boaters on how and where invasive species are most likely to hitch a ride into water bodies.
• Perform boat and trailer checks for invasive species and distribute informational brochures.
• Some individuals become water monitoring volunteers as well, collecting and reporting suspect samples of invasive species, particularly for zebra mussels and Eurasian water milfoil.

Never Release Water Garden Plants or Animals Into Our Waters

Brought from Asia as an ornamental, flowering rush has escaped from water gardens and now is found in several northern states including Wisconsin. It prefers shallow or slow moving water where it grows as an emergent plant in marshes, backwaters and along shorelines.

They may become invasive species that crowd out native plants, damage habitat for fish, birds and wildlife, diminish recreational opportunities, and incur great expenses for their control.

• Never transplant water garden plants into lakes, streams, wetlands or stormwater ponds.
• Never release crayfish, fish or other animals into lakes or streams.
• Check your plant orders for unwanted and potentially invasive hitchhikers (seeds, plant fragments, snails, insects, or fish).
• Be aware of the regulations regarding possession, transport and sale of invasive plants and animals.
• Learn how invasive plants and animals spread.
• Recognize which plants and animals are potentially invasive in your climatic zone.
• Properly compost or dispose of unwanted plants and animals.

Apply for an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant

This annual appropriation from motor boat gas tax revenues is administered by the DNR as a cost share grant program.

The grants can be used for work that prevents the spread of aquatic invasive species into uninfested waters. The grants can also be used for eradicating or controlling the impact of invasive aquatic species and re-establishing biological integrity.

Some details of the program include:

1. A 50% local match is required which can be cash, donated labor or materials.
2. Local units of governments hold the highest priority ranking for funding, including towns, cities, villages, counties, tribes, lake and sanitary districts. Lake associations and nonprofit conservation organizations may also apply.
3. Projects should emphasize prevention, planning, education and boat launch inspections; control practices are mainly limited to projects in DNR approved plans.
4. Rapid Response control projects are also eligible for funding, with or without a DNR approved plan in place.

Carroll Schaal
Lake Team Leader, Bureau of Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection
101 S. Webster Street, Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707
Phone: (608) 266-9270

Raise and Release Purple Loosestrife-eating Beetles

Galerucella calmariensis is a type of purple loosestrife eating beetle.
These beetles lay their eggs on the plant stem and in the leaf axils. Beetle larvae eat the bud, leaf, and stem tissue of Purple loosestrife.

Volunteers can help Wisconsin combat purple loosestrife by rearing and releasing beetles that eat purple-loosestrife. "Starter kits" with 100 beetles enable volunteers to rear the 100 beetles into 10,000 or more over 6 to 8 weeks for release into local purple loosestrife-infested areas. The cost of a starter kit is just $25, thanks to growing in-state beetle populations. In the past, these kits relied on imported beetles and have cost $110. People may purchase the additional supplies at local outlets. Kits include directions on how to raise and distribute the beetles, as well as preparing for future propagation through local beetle collection.

Before seeking a kit, volunteers need to find a local area appropriate for the project. The beetles won’t work in all areas, especially areas that remain wet in mid-summer. Late July-August is generally the best time to check potential sites because loosestrife is in bloom and easy to find.

For more information on raising beetles, please contact: