218-326-5573Our Most Frequent Questions
Below you will find some of our most frequently asked questions about AIS, Boat Ownership, Transportation and Recreational Activities. Have a question that we don't address here?
AIS Related Questions
You will need to read and sign the affirmation when you register your boat. Follow all AIS laws including Clean, Drain, Dry, and dispose of your bait properly when coming off the lake.
Take extra precautions when leaving a lake that is infested. It is illegal to transport AIS without a permit. You should: spray your boat with high pressure water, rinse with very hot water, and let it dry for at least 5 days.
All bait must be disposed of in the trash when coming off of a lake, unless you replace the bait water with fresh tap water. It is always a good idea to keep fresh tap water with you for this purpose.
You need to remove as much water from the livewell as possible, by letting it drain. Once it drains as much as it can, you should get a towel and wipe the livewell dry.
Populations of AIS can rapidly grow and reproduce, and change the habitat of a lake. AIS such as zebra mussels can produce up to one million eggs a year! They filter algae and zooplankton out of the water for food, reducing the amount of food available for native animals, disrupting the food chain from the bottom up. Zebra mussels hurt people as well, damaging boat motors and slicing swimmers feet. Aquatic invasives also have many other unseen effects on our lakes. When plants such as curly leaf pondweed and Eurasian Water Milfoil grow in thick mats, they can clog waterways.
Many infestations of AIS can be traced back directly to human activity, especially from the release of ballast water in ships in the Great Lakes. Zebra mussels were spread in such a manner.
Inspections typically last under 5 minutes, unless there is a violation.
It is illegal to transport AIS on public roads without a permit. Before leaving the boat access, clean any visible invasives off your boat and drain any water that may be in your boat. You can also go to a decontamination unit and get a courtesy decontamination at no charge, which takes about 15 minutes..