The fight goes on

When it comes to battling invasive species in Brainerd area lakes, education may be the best weapon.

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The DNR this summer, as it has every summer since 1999, has interns manning public landings throughout the state informing boaters of the dangers of zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and curly-leaf pondweed.

Anglers fished Rice Lake on the Mississippi River on Friday. The DNR has stepped up checks for invasive species in area lakes this summer. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls » Purchase reprints of this photo.

Keri Hull, DNR watercraft inspection program specialist in Brainerd, said the feedback from boaters has been positive.

"Usually boaters are pretty happy to do what they can to help keep the lakes clean," Hull said. "Hopefully our program is doing some good. I think it is. Prevention is everything."

In Crow Wing County, lakes infested with Eurasian water milfoil are Bay, Kimball, Lower Mission, Ossawinnamakee, Ruth and Upper Mission. Also, the Ripple River between Bay and Tame Fish lakes is infested.

DNR intern Matt Seufert (left) and boater Bruce Meinz inspected Meinz's boat Thursday afternoon after Meinz took it out of North Long Lake. The DNR has stationed interns at public accesses this summer in an effort to educate boaters about the transport of invasive species. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls » Purchase reprints of this photo.

Eurasian watermilfoil can form dense mats of vegetation and crowd out native aquatic plants, clog boat propellers and make water recreation difficult. It is transported from lake to lake on boats or on boat trailers. It's growth can be controlled but the plant usually cannot be eradicated, the DNR reported.

Lakes in the county with zebra mussels are Black Bear, Boom, Half-Moon, Little Rabbit, Miller, Ossawinnamakee, Pickerel and Rice. Zebra mussels also are present in the Pine River from the mouth of Pelican Brook to the Mississippi River and six unnamed wetlands.

Latest invasive species found in the Brainerd area was milfoil, found in early June on Washburn Lake near Outing.

"We don't have any new ones, that's good news," said Dan Swanson, DNR invasive species biologist in Brainerd. "Education seems to be working."

Clyde Clement, who lives on Pelican Lake, is a member of numerous groups - Brainerd Lakes Area Invasive Species Task Force, Pelican Lake Invasive Species Task Force, the Pelican Lake Association and the Pelican Lake Conservation Club - that want to increase the education on invasive species.

Clement said the most creative tool the Brainerd Lakes Area Invasive Species Task Force has come up with is holding seminars for water shore professionals, the people who put in docks, boat lifts and transport boats for lakeshore owners.

"We're trying to do it for the whole Brainerd lakes area," Clement said.

He said often invasive species are spread by workers as they move from lake to lake. Unfortunately, Clement said of the 120 such shore workers identified by his group, only about 50 have attended the seminars.

"That's playing Russian roulette in the Brainerd area with invasive species," he said.

Swanson said he hopes the program could be implemented statewide.

Also important, Clement said, is for lakeshore owners to control their own property for invasive species and for lake users to police themselves. The Pelican Lake Association received a DNR grant to monitor the lakes four public landings. On one occasion, a group putting a boat lift into Pelican Lake covered in zebra mussels was stopped by someone knowledgeable of invasive species.

Zebra mussels present the greatest concern because, unlike milfoil, they can't be controlled or eradicated once in a lake. The mussels, which measure about a quarter inch to 1.5 inches long, attach themselves to docks, boat lifts, rocks and weeds. They filter out the food that fish use and when they die they wash up on shore, making beach use nearly impossible.

"Taking Pelican Lake for example, it would completely destroy the tourist destination of Pelican - no fish, no swimming," Clement said. "That is something the whole state ought to be concerned about."

Clement would like to see more done by property owners and the DNR.

"We are placid in our approach to controlling invasive species," Clement said. "Two things I need to stress are, one - lake associations need to correspond with property owners to encourage their professionals to attend seminars, and two - the state needs to educate people to a higher degree of competence on the risk of transferring invasive species using public accesses. Those fairy tales of invasive species being transferred by ducks or otters are just that."

MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.