Don’t Be That Boater: How to Keep Invasive Species Out of Our Waters

They cling to the bottom of your boat. They latch onto your hip waders, water skis, and lures. They get flushed down toilets, poured down drains, and dumped on docks. They are invasive species. And if you aren’t careful, you might be spreading them every time you hit the water.

But fear not. We’re here to help. Consider this your semi-complete user’s guide to these harmful intruders.

WHAT ARE THEY?
An invasive species is any species that displaces or harms native plants and wildlife. “It could be a plant, insect, fish, bird, or mammal,” says Brent Stock, executive director of the James River Basin Partnership in Springfield, Missouri, which collaborates with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and other organizations to control invasive species. Stock notes that anglers, boaters, and water skiers all exert pressure on our environment through their recreational activities and must ensure they aren’t spreading something that could harm our natural resources.

WHO ARE THE MAIN CULPRITS?
In and around Missouri, you have to be on the lookout for four primary encroachers: zebra mussels (tiny shellfish that clog water intakes, cluster on boat bottoms, and damage marinas), hydrillas (aquatic plants that can take five years to eradicate with costly monitoring and chemical treatments), Asian carp (a blanket term for four species of fish from Asia that crowd out native species and consume their food), and rock snot (slimy, gross-looking algae that disrupt aquatic ecosystems, harming fish and other wildlife).

HOW DO THEY DO DAMAGE?
You might wonder, “But all these plants and animals are part of nature too, so how can they be harmful?”

Here’s how: Invasive species can dominate habitats and create “monocultural deserts,” environments where only a few plants and animals can thrive. This wreaks havoc in four ways.

1. Harm to native wildlife: Invasive species are aggressive and utilize their natural advantages to compete with native animals for food, space, and other resources.

2. Harm to native plants: Like their animal counterparts, invasive plants can transform diverse ecosystems into monocultures that provide little nutritional value to wildlife.

3. Harm to recreation: Invasive species can force government officials to close or restrict waterways and implement rigorous inspection procedures.

4. Harm to the economy: Combating invasive species is costly for governments and private landowners. Invasive species also diminish the beauty of natural areas, which can result in fewer tourism dollars.

HOW DO WE STOP THEM?
According to the MDC and others, it comes down to three words: “Clean. Drain. Dry.” Let us explain.

Clean
Look for these unwanted hitchhikers on the bottom of your boat, the boat’s casting deck, the motor, your clothes, your trailer, and anywhere else that has been in contact with the water. Remove what you can by hand and dispose of it in the trash. (Don’t throw it back in the water.) Use a power washer to eliminate all other critters and plant matter from your equipment. Utilize cleaning stations at state parks to scrub your boots, waders, skis, and other personal gear.

Drain
Remove the water from every possible reservoir on your watercraft, ranging from the bilge to the live wells. You want to avoid carrying contaminated water to other waterways.

Dry
Allow your equipment to dry for at least a week in the sun, if possible. “Ultraviolet rays help to kill some organisms,” Stock explains. If you can’t place your equipment in the sun, then at least make sure it dries completely.

ANYTHING ELSE?
Controlling invasive species requires awareness and commitment. Ideally, we all develop the habit of removing them.

“At the end of a long day on the lake, it’s hard to take the time to inspect and clean yourself or your equipment,” admits Stock. “But that’s what we must do to protect the resources we love.”

Author: Tim Fox is a frequent contributor to Terrain.

Top image: Rusty crayfish are an invasive species in parts of the Midwest. (MDC)