June 26, 2018
By Jennifer A. Smith
As another Wisconsin summer hits
its stride, it's a good time for Wisconsin boaters to think about responsible
boating practices. They can enjoy the great outdoors and protect our
waters at the same time by taking simple actions to prevent the spread of
aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Clean Boats, Clean Waters is a
statewide boater education program that Wisconsin Sea Grant implements in
partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and University
of Wisconsin-Extension. With the help of Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative funding, Sea Grant educates boaters along the Great Lakes coast.
Trained watercraft inspectors are
stationed in four areas of the state, where they teach boaters how to take the
preventative steps required by state law to minimize the risk of spreading
unwanted “hitchhikers,” such as zebra mussels and quagga mussels, from one body
of water to another.
Tim Campbell, Sea Grant’s AIS
outreach specialist, works closely with Wisconsin DNR on the program. As
he summed up Wisconsin law, “Basically, you’re not allowed to transport aquatic
plants, mud or animals on a public roadway. You also can’t transport lake or
river water, so you need to drain out the water before leaving the boat
landing.”
While more than 90% of boaters say
they are familiar with Wisconsin law and “always” or “usually” take steps to
clean their watercraft, that still leaves many boating trips each year that
present some risk.
Inspectors talk to boaters (and
users of other watercraft, like kayaks and paddleboards) about these
requirements and, when needed, help them take the necessary actions, such as
removing plants from a hard-to-reach part of a trailer or draining excess water
from boat compartments.
“Especially at the beginning of the
boating season, people can be rusty in their boating habits,” said
Campbell. “And it’s always good for inspectors to be there to talk to the
few people who haven’t yet heard the ‘Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!’ message.”
Clean Boats, Clean Waters
inspectors are based out of Appleton, Green Bay, Milwaukee/Port Washington, and
the Kenosha/Racine/Milwaukee area. The aim is not to penalize boaters,
but to help them comply with the law and protect our waters so they can be
enjoyed for generations to come.
“Many of the boaters thank me for
being out and doing my job, which is pretty cool,” said inspector Matthew
Cherney, a UW-Madison student majoring in geological engineering and
geoscience. Cherney, who is from Appleton, covers boat launches in and
around Milwaukee.
The inspectors are all college
students and work through Labor Day or so. It’s gratifying work, said
Nick Holtmeier, a UW-Whitewater student majoring in biology and Spanish, whose
area is northeastern Wisconsin. "My favorite part of performing
inspections is getting to talk to the public to inform them about a topic for
which I have a passion.”
The program has been quite
successful in holding the line on the spread of AIS. Said Campbell,
“Clean Boats, Clean Waters has been going on since 2004, and we know that it
works to change boater behaviors. It’s the best program we have to really
make an impact on the spread of invasive species.”
