As the summer winds down water users tend to try and get in more time angling, water skiing or finding other ways to hit the north’s lakes and rivers.

But with each outing comes the danger of spreading aquatic invasive species into the waters and doing long term harm to the water resources.

“While we do have zebra mussels, Eurasian Water Milfoil, and the deadly fish disease Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) in Wisconsin, we can contain these invasions,” said DNR Law Enforcement Water Guard, John Preuss.

He added that most northern waters are free of invasive species and everyone wants to keep it that way.

Helpful practices are in place to protect these valuable water resources and to comply with state laws and administrative rules.

The first step to take before launching a boat is to inspect the craft, trailer, and equipment for any aquatic vegetation.

If found, remove them.

Anchor ropes, anchors, and lures also need to be checked for vegetation.

“A three inch segment of Eurasian Water Milfoil is all that is needed to spread it to a new water body,” the water guard explained.

Another practice involves draining all water from the boat and equipment before leaving the boat landing.

This includes live wells, bilges, transom wells, and motors.

Boat motors should also be trimmed down to drain water from the lower unit.

During the first half of a zebra mussel’s life it is a microscopic larva and can easily be transported in a small amount of water.

Fish caught during the day should be put on ice before an angler leaves for the day, or the container carrying the fish should be drained of all water.

Shore anglers as well as those fishing from boats need to follow this practice to help insure that no live organisms can be transmitted from one water body to the next.

Lastly there is the issue of using minnows as bait.

If no lake or river water is added to the minnow container you may use the minnows on different bodies of water.

If lake or river water is added to the minnow container, anglers may only use those minnows on that same body of water. “In both situations a limit of two gallons of water can be used to transport minnows and “unwanted minnows cannot be released into a body of water,” Preuss said

“All of these practices must be followed if we want to protect our waters from VHS and other invasive species,” Preuss said.

He added that a survey found about fifty percent of anglers not following the practices stated above and putting the north’s waterways in danger.

By taking a few minutes of time at the boat landing we can hold the line on zebra mussels, VHS, and other invasives that threaten our water recreation in the northland, the warden added.

The rules and more information on VHS can be found online at dnr.wi.gov/fish/vhs.