ABOVE: At boat launches for Hall and Budd Lakes, these kiosks have removal tools to ensure any and all debris or aquatic stragglers like Zebra Mussels are removed before boaters move on.

FAIRMONT – With a hot weekend and boating season in full swing, local officials are keeping the spotlight on Aquatic Hitchhikers like Zebra Mussels.

As of June 30, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has not found any invasive species in all of the Martin County waters. Soil and Water Conservation District Technician Dustin Benes said the main culprit is people transporting the species via trailers or water in boats.

“If people are transporting docks or boat lifts from one body of water to the other,” he said. “Another way is fisherman using minnows, the water inside the bucket should be drained and replaced with tap water when you leave a lake.”

Benes said it can be pretty easy for hitchhikers to climb aboard.

“You got water in your live wells, bait buckets, or ballast tanks,” he said. “A lot of time weeds get stuck where it can be hard to see them.”

In his observations, Benes said people have been doing their part to combat the spread of aquatic hitchhikers.

“A lot of times I have done boat surveys, the plugs have been out, and no weeds on the trailers,” he said.

This has also shown in the statistics on invasive species since the current Clean, Drain, Dry awareness campaign started.

“It has decreased the spread of aquatic invasives,” Benes said. “It had been going pretty fast, but getting preventative measures out slowed that pace down. The amount of infested waters has increased somewhat, but the rate and speed of increase have gone down drastically.”

No one is infallible, and mistakes happen. To ensure water drainage and boat cleaning isn’t forgotten, Benes said all one needs to do is look around.

“Each lake launch area has signs telling you to clean, drain and dry,” he said. “We’ve been broadcasting and putting ads everywhere. Especially this week, we have been looking to get the word out everywhere. The lake launches have tools as well to remove things at Budd and Hall lakes. It’s just due to general traffic, but it is an especially busy time.”

While not common, Benes said people can also be on the lookout for those who seek to intentionally carry water or uncleaned trailers from one lake to another.

“Conservation officers have heard people say they want to speed up the process or make the lakes clearer,” he said. “Zebra mussels would present an even bigger problem. If we got zebra mussels in Budd Lake, that would increase the cost of water for people in Fairmont because the mussels would plug up the drains.”

For failure to remove plugs from watercraft or clean trailers before leaving a body of water, DNR Conservation Officer Eric Schettler said it is a $50 base fine and $85 in court costs.

“They made these laws so everyone is affected,” he said. “There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. No matter how many lakes you do or don’t go to or how close your place is to the lake, you have to get into the routine of draining water and clearing plants off. It’s not just the fee, it’s your name in the paper with the court records. It’s an image thing.”