With the weather turning colder, anglers are taking their boats out of the water for the winter. Thanks to information provided by inspectors at boat launches this year, these boaters might be more likely to look closely at their watercraft for signs of aquatic invasive plants and animals that could tag along to winter storage locations.
The Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute watercraft inspection program, run during the summer in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), reached 13,200 people and inspected 6,400 watercraft. In addition to checking boats for invasive species, inspectors surveyed boaters about their clean boating practices and experiences. The program’s goal is to reduce the risk of invasive species spreading to new areas in the state.
Another 260 boats were observed to see if they were cleaned without prompting of the boaters from inspectors. Of these, an estimated 77 percent took action to reduce the spread of invasive species. This compares to 60 percent observed cleaning their boats in 2009, according to Phil Moy, Wisconsin Sea Grant advisory services manager.
These results are included in numbers for the season from the WDNR’s Clean Boats, Clean Waters program. The program reports that 188,450 people were reached and 91,400 boats were inspected this summer. Most people (84 percent) reported inspecting their boats, and 53 percent reported removing plant or animal hitchhikers.
Hans Bremer, watercraft inspection coordinator for Wisconsin Sea Grant, reports that the boating season started out slowly this year. “We didn’t see many boaters at launches until late July and August,” Bremer said. “It seemed to be due to a combination of wind and rain.”
Sea Grant inspectors take their jobs seriously. Bremer recounts the story of one inspector in Ashland, Wis., who wanted to go above and beyond his job duties to control aquatic invasives. “A bunch of Eurasian watermilfoil was growing on the breakwater just offshore. The inspector wanted to go diving to remove it. I kept telling him not to do it – I didn’t want him getting hurt. But he really wanted to deal with it. I’m sure he could have done it.”
Bremer said another inspector in Green Bay increased use of the boat washing station at the Metro Boat Launch by working with the parks department to put signs up directing boaters to the station.
Wisconsin Sea Grant has participated in the watercraft inspection program since 2007 as part of its efforts to provide public outreach and education about aquatic invasive species.
