PREVENT THE TRANSPORT OF AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES
Aquatic invasive species such as Eurasian watermilfoil, Asian clams, and zebra mussels can be spread between water bodies on boating and fishing equipment that has not been cleaned, drained and dried. Help to prevent the transport of nuisance species by following the guidelines below – clean, drain and dry.
Resources
- Nebraska’s Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations
- Nebraska’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan
- Up to date information from USGS
Preventative Steps
What you can do to help
Clean
After boating, before you leave the launch:
Remove all visible plants, animals, fish, and mud from your boat, trailer, or other equipment and dispose of in a suitable trash container or on dry land. Don’t transport any potential hitchhiker, even back to your home. Remove and leave them at the site you visited.
Drain
After boating, before you leave the launch:
Drain water from bilge, live wells, ballast tanks, and any other locations with water before leaving the launch. Invasive viruses, zooplankton, and juvenile zebra mussels and Asian clams can be transported in even just a drop of water!
Dry
Before you arrive at the launch to go boating:
Dry your boat, trailer, and all equipment completely. Drying times vary depending on the weather and the type of material. At least five days drying time is recommended.
What Spots to Check
Current Zebra & Quagga Mussel Distribution Maps
There are 4 waterbodies infested with zebra mussels in Nebraska. Lewis and Clark Lake near Yankton, SD (2015), Lake Yankton (2017), the Missouri River-the entire length of the river in Nebraska (2016) and Offutt Air Force Base Lake in Bellevue, NE (2014).
There are 2 suspect waterbodies (which means only a single water sample has been found to contain zebra mussel larvae). These waterbodies include Lake Zorinsky in Omaha, NE (in 2016) and Carter Lake in Omaha, NE (2017).
Quagga mussels have not been found in Nebraska to date.
Kansas Zebra Mussel Status
Kansas now has 28 water bodies with zebra mussels. Below is a map from April 2017. The newest finding was on April 28th, 2017 at Osage Fishing Lake near Topeka, KS. Read more in this article from the Rural Messenger.
