June 30, 2022



header


*Minnesota DNR News
*




*For Immediate Release:
*

June 30, 2022




*For more information:*
Contact the DNR Information Center
by?email <[email protected]>?or call 888-646-6367.





In This Issue

* Operation Dry Water set for July 2-4 [ #link_1491411839600 ]
* Faucet snails confirmed in George Lake in Mahnomen County [ #link_1491411977526 ]
* Zebra mussels confirmed in Buchanan Lake in Otter Tail County [ #link_1491412003165 ]
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Operation Dry Water set for July 2-4

Leave the alcohol on shore

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and their public safety partners are stepping up efforts to keep Minnesota?s waterways safe July 2-4. The increased focus on boating under the influence is part of Operation Dry Water, a nationwide campaign that highlights the dangers of boating under the influence of drugs and alcohol and calls attention to the heavy penalties associated with boating while intoxicated.

Minnesota?s lakes and rivers likely will be extraordinarily busy this holiday weekend. When boaters hit the water, though, they should choose something other than alcohol to drink. Boating while intoxicated (BWI) is the leading contributing factor in boating accidents and fatalities: in recent years, nearly half the fatal boating incidents in Minnesota involved alcohol.

?If you?re caught boating under the influence, there won?t be a warning or a second chance,? said Lt. Adam Block, DNR Enforcement boating law administrator. ?The stakes are too high and people who enjoy the water the right way shouldn?t be at risk because of someone else?s decision to drink and boat.?

The penalties associated with boating under the influence have never been higher, particularly in Minnesota, which has some of the nation?s strongest BWI laws. People convicted of drinking and driving?whether they?re driving a boat, motor vehicle or recreational vehicle?lose their privilege to operate any of them.

The reason many boating accidents turn fatal is because the people who fall overboard aren?t wearing a life jacket. At the same time, being intoxicated is often what causes them to end up in the water in the first place. Public safety officials urge all boaters to stay ?dry? on the water and wait until they?re back on shore to drink alcohol.

For more information, visit the Operation Dry Water website [ [link removed] ] (OperationDryWater.org) and the boating safety page of the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/BoatingSafety).

Operation Dry Water activities are sponsored by the National Association of Boating Law Administrators in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.

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Faucet snails confirmed in George Lake in Mahnomen County

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a report of faucet snails in George Lake, located entirely within the White Earth Reservation in Mahnomen County.

A White Earth Nation official who is also a member of the State Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Committee, Will Bement, contacted the DNR with faucet snail samples collected by a bait harvester trapping leeches on George Lake. A DNR research scientist confirmed that the samples were faucet snails.

Faucet snails are much less prevalent than zebra mussels in Minnesota and they have very different impacts on habitats. While ingesting them is not harmful to humans, faucet snails can be fatal to waterfowl. The snail is an intermediate host for three intestinal trematodes, or flukes, that can cause mortality in ducks and coots. When waterfowl consume the infested snails, the adult trematodes attack the internal organs and cause lesions and hemorrhage. The trematodes contributed to the deaths of about 9,000 scaup and coots in 2007 and 2008 on Lake Winnibigoshish, where faucet snails were first confirmed in inland Minnesota waters.

Faucet snails also compete with native snails for food and habitat. They may clog water intake pipes and other submerged equipment. Currently, there is no known effective population control for faucet snails in natural water bodies.

Faucet snails are small animals with coiled spiral shells. They grow up to a half inch long and are longer than they are wide. They are light brown to black, with four to five coils (whorls) on the shell. Faucet snails can be difficult for non-specialists to identify conclusively, as they look similar to native snail species found in Minnesota.

People spread faucet snails primarily through the movement of water-related equipment. The snails can attach to boats, docks, swim rafts and boat lifts, as well as scuba, fishing and hunting gear. Faucet snails can close their shells and survive out of water for multiple days.

Whether or not a lake has any invasive species, Minnesota law requires people to:


* *Clean* watercraft, trailers and equipment to remove aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species.
* *Drain* all water and leave drain plugs out during transport.
* *Dispose* of unwanted bait in the trash.
* *Never release* bait, plants or aquarium pets into Minnesota waters.
* *Dry docks, lifts and rafts for 21 days *before moving them from one water body to another.

These additional steps reduce the risk of spreading aquatic invasive species:


* *Decontaminate *watercraft and equipment ? find free stations on the courtesy decontamination page of the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/Decon).
* *Spray* with high-pressure water or *rinse* with very hot water (120 degrees for at least two minutes or 140 degrees for at least 10 seconds).
* *Dry* watercraft and equipment for at least five days before using in another water body.

People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/Invasives/AIS/Contacts.html) if they think they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species.

More information is available on the aquatic invasive species page of the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/AIS).

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Zebra mussels confirmed in Buchanan Lake in Otter Tail County

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a report of zebra mussels in Buchanan Lake, in the city of Ottertail in Otter Tail County.

A lake property owner contacted the DNR after finding an adult zebra mussel attached to a native mussel shell. A DNR invasive species specialist found an adult zebra mussel shortly after entering the water near the public access, about one mile from the site of the initial report.?

Whether or not a lake has any invasive species, Minnesota law requires people to:


* *Clean* watercraft, trailers and equipment to remove aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species.
* *Drain* all water and leave drain plugs out during transport.
* *Dispose* of unwanted bait in the trash.
* *Never release* bait, plants or aquarium pets into Minnesota waters.
* *Dry docks, lifts and rafts for 21 days *before moving them from one water body to another.

These additional steps reduce the risk of spreading aquatic invasive species:


* *Decontaminate *watercraft and equipment ? find free stations on the courtesy decontamination page of the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/Decon).
* *Spray* with high-pressure water or *rinse* with very hot water (120 degrees for at least two minutes or 140 degrees for at least 10 seconds).
* *Dry* watercraft and equipment for at least five days before using in another water body.

Zebra mussels can compete with native species for food and habitat, cut the feet of swimmers, reduce the performance of boat motors, and cause expensive damage to water intake pipes.

People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/Invasives/AIS/Contacts.html) if they think they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species.

More information is available on the aquatic invasive species page of the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/AIS).

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