Sailing News

Sailing News & Views

Great Lakes Basin Waters Levels
More Water Little Change

All of the Great Lakes basins received above average precipitation in May. The Great Lakes Basin as a whole has received above-average precipitation for the last 12 months. The net supply of water to Lake Superior, Michigan-Huron and Erie was also above average, whereas the net supply of water to Lake Ontario was below average.

A comparison of May monthly mean water levels to long-term (1918-2000) average shows Lakes superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie and Ontario were 6, 23, 14, 10 and 3 inches, respectively, below average. Boaters should be aware of increased hazards to navigation due to current low water conditions.

Major Zebra Mussel Infestation in Harbor Impacts Native Mussels, Boaters

A Major infestation of zebra mussels in the Duluth-Superior harbor was recently confirmed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologisits. The extent of the heavy zebra mussels infestation was discovered while biologists were conducting the first comprehensive surveys for native freshwater mussels in the state. Officials suspect that mild winters and warm summers the last three years have created ideal conditions for zebra mussels to grow in the Duluth-Superior harbor area.

“One-hundred percent of the native mussels I found on the bay side of Park Point were heavily infested with zebra mussels,” said Dan Kelner, DNR malacologist who conducted the surveys by scuba diving as part of a statewide effort. “A lot of the native mussels were already dead or dying because the zebra mussels make it difficult for the native mussels to eat and breathe. Every hard underwater surface was carpeted with zebra mussels.”

University of Minnesota Sea Grant staff, using an underwater videw camera, also noticed very heavy colonization of zebra mussels in the Duluth Ship Canal last month, according to Doug Jensen, Exotic Species Information Center coordinator for Minnesota Sea Grant.

“This increase in zebra mussels and previous discoveries of zebra mussels attached to boats means boaters taking their watercraft from the harbor should take extra time and care to inspect and remove zebra mussels,” Jensen said. “Boat owners who moored their watercraft over the summer in Duluth, the lower Mississippi River or the lower St. Croix River are the ones most likely to be transporting zebra mussels. They should be prepared to clean their boats before leaving water accesses.”

Jay Rendall, DNR Exotic Species Program coordinator, said, “So far no zebra mussels have been found in inland waters in Minnesota and we want to keep it that way. Our rules and regulations reinforce that it is important to prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other prohibited species, but it’s the cooperative and voluntary action by boaters that is making the real difference.”

In Minnesota, it is unlawful to transport zebra mussels or aquatic plants on a public road or to launch a boat with them attached. Violators are subject to misdemeanor or civil penalties from $50 to $1,000.

“Most boaters are doing a good job of inspecting and cleaning off their boats,” Rendall said, “but the increased zebra mussel growth emphasizes the need for boaters to be careful.”

One of the native mussel species at risk in the estuary is the creek heelsplitter, which is listed as a species of special concern in Minnesota. “Based on the 98 percent loss of Lake Erie’s native mussels due to zebra mussel infestation, it doesn’t bode well for our native mussels in the estuary,” Jensen said.

More than 70 percent of the mussel species once found in North America are now extinct, endangered or declining, Kelner said. In Minnesota, more than half of native mussel species are listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern.

Zebra mussels arrived in the ballast water of transoceanic ships in 1989. Today, across the Great Lakes, they are clogging water intake pipes and eating plankton needed by young fish. Some companies are spending up to $2 million annually to control this exotic mussel. Zebra mussels attach to hard surfaces, such as boat hulls and motors, and can also attach to aquatic plants. Microscopic larvae can be transported in water in bait buckets, live wells and bilges. This makes it important for boaters to remove all plants from their boats and trailers, and to empty water from livewells and bait buckets before leaving infested waters.

Citizens can help by volunteering for the Zebra Mussel Watch Program. Volunteers across Minnesota look for zebra mussels on boats and docks in the fall and report new findings to the DNR. To get involved for next year, contact the DNR at (651) 296-2835 or Sea Grant at (218) 726-8106.

Outdoor enthusiasts - Beware of meth labs

With the 2000-2001 hunting and winter hiking seasons starting, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conservation officers are advising hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts to watch out for dangerous chemicals used by drug manufacturers in the making of methamphetamine.

“With the increase in outdoor activity comes the increased possibility of people coming in contact with the remains of drug labs,” said Bill Bernhjelm, DNR Enforcement Division director.

State and county parks or even private land can be very appealing to drug lab operators because the remote wooded areas allow privacy, ventilation and a way of disposing of leftover chemicals or waste materials.
Chemicals used for making methamphetamine can be very dangerous before and after the drug is produced, making abandoned lab sites hazardous to people who may happen upon them, Bernhjelm said.

“There are certain products specific to the making of meth that can tip a person off to an abandoned site,” Bernhjelm noted. “Bulk ephedrine containers, lithium batteries that have been taken apart, ether cans, compressed gas cylinders, LP gas containers, gas cans, bottles with plastic tubing, and suspicious sites with bad odors whould be avoided and reported immediately.”

Those who suspect they have found an abandoned drug lab should contact the local conservation officer or sheriff’s department immediately. People should not touch, try to move or dispose of suspicious materials themselves.

Zebra Mussel Infestation extensive in Lake Zumbro

A random inspection within the shallow water areas of Lake Zumbro indicates that zebra mussels are common in much of the lake basin are are also in the river below the lake.

Earlier last week, the existence of the harmful exotic was confirmed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), making it the first Minnesota inland lake found to be infested with zebra mussels. Lake Zumbro, a 600-acre impoundment on the Zumbro River, is located about 10 miles north of Rochester. Mussels were also found in the Zumbro River below the dam, downstream of the lake. “At the downstream end of the lake, we found zebra mussels everywhere we checked,” said Gary Montz, DNR aquatic biologist. “We found up to a dozen or more mussels attached to each rock we came across.

“The tiny larval stage of the zebra mussel is carried by the currents, so it is likely that zebra mussels eventually will be found throught the entire length of the Zumbro River below the dam,” Montz said.

It is still uncertain how the mussels were initially transported into the lake, or how long they have been there, although transport on a tailered boat from Lake Pepin is a possible source of the infestation. The adult stage of the zebra mussel attaches itself to any hard underwater surface it can find, such as boat hulls and motors. Microscopic larvae can be trasported in water in bait buckets, live wells and bilges. This makes it important for boaters to remove all plants from their boats and trailers, and to empty water from livewells and bait buckets before leaving infested waters.