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Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are a Dire Threat to Deer Lake
Remember, there are no Second Chances: Once in Deer Lake, Always in Deer Lake!
What you can do to help prevent Deer Lake from becoming infested with AIS: Several local lakes are now infested with zebra mussels, starry stonewort, spiny waterflea, or other aquatic invasives (AIS) including Pokegama, Little Jay Gould, Big Winnie, Bowstring, Sand, North Star, Ball Club, and Dora Lakes, portions of the Mississippi, Bowstring and Bigfork Rivers, and Hale and McKinney Lakes in Grand Rapids. The Mississippi River is now infested all the way from Big Winnie to south of Grand Rapids. See a listing of local infested waters below. Almost always, new lakes and rivers are infested unwittingly. AIS are not moved by waterfowl or other wildlife. They’re moved by us. We move AIS from one lake or river to another, via boats, trailers, bilge-water, live-well, bait-water, fishing and other water gear, docks, lifts, swim-rafts, float planes, and recreational gear. Infestation would harm family enjoyment of Deer Lake, decrease property values, and degrade the fishery. Anyone who moves from one lake or river to another can cause new waters to become infested. Our Deer Lake public-access inspection program helps prevent AIS from spreading, but inspectors can’t be there 24/7 and the Deer Lake public access is only one entry path among many. We all have a prevention role … property owners, recreational boaters, anglers, invited and paying guests, visitors, and the businesses that serve us, including resorts, camps, campgrounds, lake service providers, bait shops, and marine dealers.
What we can do:
Know whether those waters are infested. Practice clean, drain, dispose, and dry before leaving any water access or shoreland:
The Itasca AIS Program will provide inspection and decontamination services for free 218-256-4243
FiveStar businesses are DNR-certified, have signed a contract agreeing to apply additional specified AIS best-practices and safeguards, and have agreed to agree to allow the Itasca AIS Program to review their operations, make recommendations for improvement, and disseminate AIS best practices to other service providers. Patronize a lake service provider that takes AIS precautions seriously.
FiveStar Lake Service Providers: Grand Rapids Marine 218-326-0351 Thousand Lakes Dock & Lift 218-398-7553 JJ’s Barge Service 218-244-5194 Chad Schumacher 218-256-9691 Matt Almquist/38Outpost 218-259-9997 Paul Grooms/Grooms Property Service 218-259-2157 Fish Lake Dock and Lift 651-674-8581 Lake Home Helpers 218-969-5028
New FiveStar providers are welcome http://deerlakeassociation.org/index.cfm?pageid=262011
FiveStar Landscapers: Lange Nursery & Landscape 218-380-6939 McNeil Excavating 218-259-6364 J.V. Tree and Landscaping 866-232-5183 or 612-987-9992
Recommend renting from a FiveStar provider who applies AIS safeguards and has invested in specialized decontamination equipment like R&R Rental and Grand Rapids Marine. http://deerlakeassociation.org/index.cfm?pageid=262011
Please watch this 10 min video showing AIS infestation in MN lakes. Scenes from Deer Lake included. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkOjL4Q-qgU
Thank you for your help keeping Deer Lake free from AIS infestation
Click this link to see a list of AIS Infested waters in the Deer Lake Area
*** More AIS Information:
(Click the Link) Itasca County AIS Facebook Page Summary of the Itasca AIS Program
A beach full of invasive mussles makes bare feet impossible!
MN DNR: Invasive Species in Itasca County Poster from Minnesota Coalition of Lake Associations Mussles and more: find many other Invasives on the sidebar of this website |