Boaters at three public access landings in Douglas County will now be able to remove aquatic vegetation easier and faster than ever before by using an Aqua Weed Stick Landing Station, according to county officials.
Boaters will also be able to dispose of any unwanted bait.
“We’re hoping to help boaters more easily comply with the requirement to remove all aquatic vegetation before entering a lake and when leaving it,” said Justin Swart, Douglas County Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention coordinator. “The county applied for and received an Aquatic Invasive Species Behavior Change Grant from the Minnesota DNR that paid for two of the three stations.”
The stations have a weed stick which is used to push, pull, hook and scrape aquatic vegetation off a boat or trailer. It’s connected to a data logger so the county can see how often it’s being used. The stations also have a bait disposal container with a compostable bag which will be replaced by county staff.
Douglas County Public Works assisted with the station installations at access points on Lake Miltona, Geneva and Mary. Douglas County will monitor usage the rest of this summer and fall and determine if additional stations will be installed in 2021.
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The removal stations are the latest component of the comprehensive effort in Douglas County to combat aquatic invasive species which include: zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and curly-leaf pondweed.
