Don’t spread invasive species into our waters

Published 12:20 pm Wednesday, June 4, 2008

By Staff
This week Governor Jennifer M. Granholm named as Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week to encourage people to become educated about the need to control this problem before our area lakes are destroyed.
Our lakes and the tourism they bring are a valuable resource to our state and should be protected as such.
Already Stone Lake and Diamond Lake have seen vegetable material which quickly spreads and chokes other plant life, which in turn can cause certain fish to not be able to find the nutrients they need.
Signs have been placed at many area loading docks to inform the boaters as to what these plants look like.
Each boater must take responsibility to learn how to protect our lakes.
With the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration declaration of "Clean Boats Every Day" Initiative, hopefully citizens can learn how to properly clean, inspect and drain their boats to prevent introducing and spreading these aquatic invaders.
A few simple preventative measures can help protect Michigan's pristine waters from AIS invasions.
For example, watercrafts and recreational equipment should be inspected before leaving a lake, any vegetation should be removed, all live wells drained, areas that may contain water cleaned, and unused bait should be disposed in the trash.
AIS week is sponsored by the Department of Environmental Quality's Office of the Great Lakes with collaborative efforts from other state and federal agencies as well as private and nonprofit organizations.
For AIS Awareness Week information, the Governor's proclamation, event listings, activities, and more, visit the OGL's Aquatic Invasive
Species website at www.michigan.gov/deqaquaticinvasives; or contact the OGL at (517) 335-4056.