Two week’s ago, Minnesota’s long-awaited snow finally arrived, just in time for the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis – the first World Cup cross-country ski race to be held in the United States in more than 20 years. Last week, Hayward, Wisconsin hosted it’s 50th Birkie, thanks to a herculean effort to maintain just enough snow for skiers to race on. Now, with an eye on the thermometer, local communities are turning their attention away from skiing, ice fishing, and other winter sports, and planning ahead for ice-out and an early start to this year’s boating season.
It is hard to know exactly how the warm snow-less winter will affect Minnesota lakes, but biologists can make a few predictions based on previous experience. One is that there might be more fish at the start of the season, due to fewer winterkills (common in shallow lakes with thick snow and ice cover) and fewer fish caught during ice fishing season. Another is that aquatic plants, especially invasive curlyleaf pondweed, will have more time to grow and will be more abundant this summer.
One of the key strategies local communities can use to prevent invasive species from spreading to new lakes and rivers is to conduct watercraft inspections at boat launches and water access points. Watercraft inspectors are specially trained to identify invasive plants and animals such as curlyleaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels, and spiny waterfleas and are able to teach boaters how to properly clean and drain trailers, boats and personal watercraft. (Minnesota law requires people to clean all visible plants, mud, and mussels from their watercraft and drain ballast tanks, portable bait containers, drain bilge, livewells and other compartments before they leave a water access.) In Washington County, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Washington Conservation District (WCD), and Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District (CLFLWD) all operate watercraft inspections programs.
When the WCD first began conducting watercraft inspections in 2015, they noted that most people were doing a good job of cleaning their boats. At that time, however, approximately 7% of inspected watercraft were found to have drain plug violations. This is a particularly big concern when boaters are visiting multiple lakes and rivers because of the risk of transporting “invisible invasives,” such as zebra mussel veligers (the larval baby version), spiny waterfleas, and diseases.
Happily, WCD staff have observed a steady improvement in boaters’ behavior since 2015. In 2022, only 2% of watercraft inspected in Washington County were found to have drain plug violations, and by 2023, that number had dropped to 1%. In addition, the number of watercraft found to have zebra mussels, mud, or plants attached has decreased over the years as well. In 2023, less than 1% of incoming boats had plants or mud attached and WCD watercraft inspectors only found one boat with a zebra mussel attached.
Currently, the WCD and CLFLWD are accepting applications for watercraft inspectors to work at lakes around the county, beginning in May. The positions can be full or part-time and include evenings, weekends, and early mornings hours. The job is 95% outdoors and is well-suited for recent high school grads, college students and teachers on summer break, and retirees looking for extra income. More info at www.mnwcd.org/employment-opportunities or www.clflwd.org/employment.
East Metro Water 