SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (WHBL) -- As residents across Wisconsin gear up to head out on the water for summer fun, the Department of Natural Resources is working to crack down on the spread of invasive species.
Conservation Warden Michael Clutter says the spread of invasive species can have serious side effects for communities. "Random Lake was spending $10,000 a year to control Eurasian Milfoil just so that people could go out there and recreate. Because you couldn't drive the boat through the stuff, it would choke your motor out." That's why it's illegal to leave a lake without cleaning of your boat and trailer.
Clutter says he's pulled over plenty of people who were trailing weeds and other muck on their trailer, and says people offer plenty of excuses when they talk to him. "'Well, I'm going to clean it off when I get home.' No. You can't leave the lake with that stuff, because the whole way you're driving, chunks are falling off, they can get into the creeks and everything, and are you really going to clean it?"
He's also ticketed people for not draining their boats after they leave the dock as well. He says you can't transport fish from one lake to another, nor can you bring water from one lake to another. That can spread a number of fish diseases like Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia.
Zebra mussels also continue to be a problem. Clutter says it can take some doing to get them off a boat once they get attached. "You need to check it over, power wash it. Heat's good. Otherwise if you leave your boat out for five day to dry, especially if there's some sun on it, that helps too."
You can learn more about summer activities and see this interview online at http://wscssheboygan.com under the Closer Look section.
