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Aquatic invasive species coordinator advises to ‘Inspect, Remove, Drain and Never Move’

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By Ted Pennekamp

The Crawford County Land Conservation Department has a new person in its office in the County Administrative Building in Prairie du Chien.

Ben Wegleitner is an aquatic invasive species coordinator with the Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development Council. Ben will be working to control aquatic invasive species in Crawford, Vernon, La Crosse, Richland and Sauk counties.

“Crawford County’s Land Conservation Department has been one of our partners in the last few years,” said Ben. “Dave Troester (County Conservationist) has been a big help.” Ben noted that Southwest Badger and the Land Conservation Department have helped each other out on various invasive species control efforts, including efforts to get rid of Japanese hops at sites within the county.

Southwest Badger is a non-profit organization which receives Wisconsin DNR grant funding. Ben said that he will be monitoring streams in the five-county region and helping to set up control efforts where invasive species are found. He will also be at several boat landings and bait dealerships this summer in order to educate anglers about the importance of bait laws as well as invasive species prevention and disease prevention.

“We are a bridge between citizens and the DNR,” said Ben who noted that he will also be speaking to professional groups, highway departments, school groups and youth groups such as 4H.

The main considerations at boat landings are stopping aquatic hitchhikers and preventing diseases. Ben said that anglers and boaters can take some simple steps to stop aquatic hitchhikers and thereby prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species from the Mississippi River into other bodies of water. Wisconsin law requires that boaters should inspect boats, trailers and equipment; remove all attached aquatic plants and animals; drain all water from boats, vehicles and equipment; and never move plants or live fish from one waterbody to another.

Using bait such as minnows from one waterbody, such as the Mississippi River, and then using the same minnows in another waterbody could spread disease, said Ben, who noted that it doesn’t take very long to “Inspect, Remove, Drain and Never Move.” Also, Ben said that spraying one’s boat occasionally with a solution consisting of one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water would be good as well, but is not required.

“Zebra mussels can be really small,” Ben said. “In their larval stage, you can’t even see them.”

Trout anglers, as well, can help to prevent the spread of invasive species such as Japanese hops and New Zealand mudsnails. Trout anglers often go from one stream to another on the same day, and thus, can unwittingly transport Japanese hops and mudsnails from one stream to the another. Ben said that this can be prevented if trout anglers spray their waders, boots or other such gear with the same solution of bleach and water before going to the second stream. Waders or boots hung up and allowed sufficient time to dry between one fishing day and another also helps. Japanese hops seeds and New Zealand mudsnails are also very small and may be hard to notice.

Ben, 25, earned his fisheries degree at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and his masters degree in invasive species biology at Central Michigan University. He is originally from Minneapolis. He has been in the Crawford County Land Conservation Office for about three weeks.

If anyone would like to contact Ben for a speaking engagement or for aquatic invasive species problems, he can be reached by email at ben.wegleitner@swbadger.org or by phone at (612) 616-4487.

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