Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz set for June 26-July 4

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will join hundreds of organizations to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species during the third annual Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, June 26 to July 4.

Throughout the nine-day event, thousands of volunteers will join watercraft inspectors at boat launches in the Great Lakes states to educate boaters on how to prevent the spread of AIS, ways to identify them and how to report an AIS discovery. Aquatic invasive species are one of the most significant threats to the ecological and economic health of the Great Lakes and other waters in Great Lakes states.

“Volunteers and watercraft inspectors will be reminding boaters that clean, drain, dispose is not only the best way to prevent spreading AIS, it’s also the law in Minnesota,” said Adam Doll, DNR watercraft inspection program coordinator.

Whether or not any invasive species has been confirmed in a lake, Minnesota law requires boaters and anglers to:

• Clean watercraft and trailers of aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species,
• Drain all water by removing drain plugs and keeping them out during transport, and
• Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.

Some invasive species are small and difficult to see at the access. To remove or kill them, take one or more of the following precautions before moving to another waterbody:     

• Spray with high-pressure water.
• Rinse with very hot water (120 degrees for at least two minutes or 140 degrees for at least 10 seconds).
• Dry for at least five days.

People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist if they think they have found an invasive species that is not already confirmed in a lake or river.

More information about aquatic invasive species is available at mndnr.gov/ais.

Last year’s Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz reached 128,000 people at more than 1,000 public and private water accesses across the region. An additional 830,000 people engaged with online virtual content and social media about the event.

More information about the Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, including educational materials, locations and volunteer opportunities, is available at glc.org/blitz.