Zebra mussels have been found in five new Minnesota lakes, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday.
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Heidi Wolf, Invasive Species Program Supervisor, said DNR divers found live zebra mussels in the Huntington and Mangan mine pits August 4.
“The infestation was reported in Turtle Lake by an individual who first noticed a heavy growth of underwater vegetation last summer”, said Ann Pierce, section manager for the DNR’s Ecological and Water Resources Division, in a news release.
The DNR says it will explore treatment options and increase watercraft inspections, but boaters need to help prevent its spread by cleaning plants from boats, draining water and throwing away unwanted bait. However, in the lake and did not find any other zebra mussels.
The DNR has checked around the state and had not found any other infestations.
Four of the discoveries were made by swimmers and divers, one by a DNR researcher. The team will continue doing dock and lift searches and is telling people to check their equipment and report any incident related to zebra mussels to the DNR. Veligers can be inadvertently but illegally transported in water from an infested lake as ballast, in live wells or in bait water.
A swimmer reported a zebra mussel in Pocket Lake.
-DRAIN all water by removing drain plugs and keeping them out during transport. The DNR conducted numerous surveys of lakes near Lake Koronis and other parts of the state, finding nothing.
An initial survey by DNR invasive species staff showed the Turtle Lake infestation extends through about 1 acre in a shoreline area around a public access.
Two zebra mussels were found by DNR inspectors in the abandoned mine pits in Crow Wing County.
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Now there are more number of DNR-trained watercraft inspectors and more decontamination units on Minnesota lakes than ever before. The DNR is studying other mines and divers are reminded to clean and check their gear. The DNR put out a renewed call to “Clean, Drain and Dispose”.
