AIS LANDING BLITZ

From: Steph Boismenue <sboismenue@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: June 28, 2017 at 10:58:54 AM CDT
Subject: AIS News - Landing Blitz

Good Morning,

Going boating this Fourth of July weekend? You may be one of thousands of Wisconsinites to be greeted by watercraft inspectors at boat landings around the state, who will be sharing a simple but powerful message: you have the power to protect our waters from aquatic invasive species (AIS)!

This holiday weekend, June 30th through July 4th, is the ninth annual Landing Blitz, a statewide effort to remind boaters and other water lovers to use their power to stop the spread of AIS.  The Oneida County AIS Team, along with 18 participating lake associations, DNR wardens and water guards, will be on hand at boat landings around Oneida County to give demonstrations of the prevention steps and answer questions about invasive species. They will be passing out free microfiber towels (while supplies last) as a thank you to the boaters they observe practicing the important prevention steps of “Inspect, Remove, Drain, and Never Move.” The towels serve as a reminder to take action to prevent the spread of AIS and are perfect for soaking up water in livewells and for wiping down boats, jet skis, anchors and other equipment after a fun day on the water.

You can follow the Oneida County AIS Team’s Landing Blitz adventures, stories of towel giveaways, and of how they are helping lake users be part of the solution to prevent the spread of AIS, by visiting our Oneida County AIS Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/oneidacountyais/

Share your action and help spread the message

A fun addition to this year’s Landing Blitz is an interactive way for you to share how you stop aquatic hitchhikers!  You can post photos and messages about the importance of stopping AIS by using the hashtag #CleanBoatsCleanWaters.  You can also share where and how you protect our lakes and rivers by contributing to a Story Map that will showcase photos and messages from water lovers across Wisconsin. Story Map contributions can be made at this link: http://arcg.is/2o9YIU9

Invasive plants and animals, like Eurasian watermilfoil, spiny water fleas, and zebra mussels, pose great risks to the health of our lakes and fisheries. These species spread easily by hitching a ride on boats and other equipment, including trailers, anchors, livewells, buckets and bilges. However, boaters can easily prevent this by taking the following simple steps every time they enter and leave both public and private boat landings:

·         Inspect your boat, trailer and equipment

·         Remove all attached plants or animals

·         Drain all water from boats, motors, livewells and other equipment

·         Never move live fish away from a waterbody

·         Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash

·         Buy minnows from a Wisconsin bait dealer, and use leftover minnows only if you will be using them on that same waterbody or if no lake or river water or other fish have been added to the container.

In addition, following these steps help boaters comply with Wisconsin state law, which prohibits the transport of AIS. Together, we are all part of the solution for preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species. For questions contact Oneida County AIS Coordinator, Stephanie Boismenue at 715-369-7835. 

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July,

Steph

Stephanie Boismenue

Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator

Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department

715-369-7835

Oneida County Courthouse (second floor)

Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501

On the web at www.oneidacountyais.com

On Facebook at Oneida County AIS | Facebook

Lake Thompson Annual Dinner Meeting

AIS Drain Campaign

From: Steph Boismenue <sboismenue@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: June 7, 2017 at 3:25:05 PM CDT
Subject: Oneida Co. AIS News 6-7-17

Good Afternoon,

The statewide AIS Drain Campaign is this weekend from Friday, June 9^th through Sunday, June 11^th.

During the Drain Campaign, the Oneida County AIS Team, along with several lake associations and partnering agencies, will be reminding anglers and boaters to drain their boats, livewells and other gear before and after hitting the lakes. They will also be handing out free ice packs to anglers to aid them in taking this important step. The Drain Campaign aims to increase awareness of and compliance with Wisconsin’s draining laws among anglers, the campaign’s target audience. The campaign focuses on the AIS prevention steps, help anglers understand how and why some of Wisconsin’s worst AIS can spread through transported water, and helps anglers understand the rules on fish and water transport.

Boaters may know to inspect their boat for weeds before entering and when leaving the lake, but they may not realize that they could inadvertently transport one of the worst AIS through water.  Invaders like zebra mussel larvae or spiny water fleas are too small to readily see and can survive to the next lake when water is left in livewells, buckets, bilge, motors or equipment.

Why Give Away Ice Packs? Because once your day’s catch is out of water, the fish are not considered live and can be safely transported home. Since fish need to be kept fresh on the road, ice is an alternative to livewells that’s already preferred by many anglers. Some folks are used to taking their catch home in livewells, but ice is a legal and better way to get those fish home. It stops any bacterial growth, and then your catch isn’t ingesting the fish toxins that concentrate in fouled, low-oxygen water on the way home, which some say affects the taste. You also don’t want that water making it to a new lake. Fish diseases or very small invasive species can get around that way.

Examples of small invasive species that can easily hitch a ride in water are Zebra Mussels and Spiny Water fleas.  Though neither one has been found in Oneida County, they are extremely close to the county line. In Vilas County, the Spiny Water fleas have been found in Trout Lake, Star Lake, Stormy Lake, and Ike Walton Lake. To the East of us, in Forest County, the Zebra Mussels have caused significant damage to Lake Metonga. Anglers are really passionate about protecting their lakes, and will take time to remove and drain invasive species from their boats just because it’s the right thing to do. No one wants to bring zebra mussels or spiny water fleas to a new lake just because they forgot to drain their water.

It takes just a few minutes at the landing to keep our lakes beautiful and our fish healthy. Know the laws and follow the AIS prevention steps every time you leave the water.

INSPECT boats, trailers and equipment.

REMOVE all attached aquatic plants and animals.

DRAIN all water from boats, vehicles, equipment including livewells and buckets containing fish.

NEVER MOVE plants or live fish away from a waterbody.

DISPOSE of unwanted bait in the trash

BUY minnows from a Wisconsin bait dealer. Use leftover minnows only under certain conditions*

*You may take leftover minnows away from any state water and use them again on that same water. You may use leftover minnows on other waters only if no lake or river water or other fish were added to their container.

The Clean Boats Clean Waters Watercraft Inspectors throughout Oneida County have been doing an OUTSTANDING job of educating boaters.  But, it’s important to remain vigilant about educating why it’s important to drain boats, livewells and bait buckets and stop invasive species in their tracks.

If you have questions about AIS or think you may have discovered an AIS that is not known to that waterbody, please do not hesitate to contact me at 715-369-7835.

Enjoy the sunshine and have a great day.

Stephanie Boismenue

Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator

Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department

715-369-6293

On the web at www.oneidacountyais.com

On Facebook at Oneida County AIS | Facebook

Visit us at: Oneida County Courthouse (second floor),

1 South Oneida Avenue, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501

CBCW Scheduled 2 more refresher Workshops

From: Steph Boismenue <sboismenue@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: June 2, 2017 at 4:24:25 PM CDT
Subject: Oneida Co. AIS - CBCW Workshop Schedule

Good afternoon,

Would you like to attend a CBCW workshop? If so, there are two more CBCW Workshops being offered and both are free:

Saturday, June 3rd from 8:00 am – 9:00 am at the Crescent Lake Boat Landing. This workshop is geared as a refresher course. You do not need to register.

Wednesday June 7th from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm at the Town of Minocqua’s Community Center (3rd floor) located at 415 Menominee Street, Minocqua. This workshop will offer plant ID, the DNR wardens perspective on invasive species, plus all the tips and tricks imaginable to help you conduct a successful watercraft inspection and stop AIS from spreading. Please register by calling Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department at 715-369-7835.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine.

Steph

Stephanie Boismenue

Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator

Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department

715-369-6293

On the web at www.oneidacountyais.com

On Facebook at Oneida County AIS | Facebook

Visit us at: Oneida County Courthouse (second floor),

1 South Oneida Avenue, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501