Aquatic Invasive Species
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Aquatic invasive species have come to the forefront of issues impacting our lakes, streams, and wetlands and are increasingly the focus of Watershed Council monitoring and management programs. Knowing how to identify aquatic invasive species, how they got here, and what you can do to help prevent them from spreading is important.
Click on the links below for more information about individual species. |
Zebra and Quagga Mussels
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What are aquatic invasive species?
The following is one of many different definitions: "a non-native species introduced to an aquatic ecosystem that causes environmental and/or economic harm. Aquatic invasive species have come to the forefront of issues impacting our lakes, streams, and wetlands and are increasingly the focus of Watershed Council monitoring and management programs.
What are the impacts of aquatic invasive species?
There are both economic and ecological impacts, both of which are quite serious. Economically, there are losses in tourism, sports-fisheries, industry and more. In Michigan, fishing expenditures alone exceed $800,000,000 per year(1), a figure that could drop substantially as aquatic invasive species disrupt ecosystems and impact fisheries. Losses in the U.S. are estimated at $78.5 billion annually and studies have estimated lost property values on infested water bodies of up to $12,000 per property(2). Ecologically, aquatic invasive species' impacts include food-web disruptions, native species reduction or loss (and dependent species), water quality degradation, and the introduction of pathogens. Furthermore, ecosystem disruptions and imbalances can result in increased danger to human health.
The following is one of many different definitions: "a non-native species introduced to an aquatic ecosystem that causes environmental and/or economic harm. Aquatic invasive species have come to the forefront of issues impacting our lakes, streams, and wetlands and are increasingly the focus of Watershed Council monitoring and management programs.
What are the impacts of aquatic invasive species?
There are both economic and ecological impacts, both of which are quite serious. Economically, there are losses in tourism, sports-fisheries, industry and more. In Michigan, fishing expenditures alone exceed $800,000,000 per year(1), a figure that could drop substantially as aquatic invasive species disrupt ecosystems and impact fisheries. Losses in the U.S. are estimated at $78.5 billion annually and studies have estimated lost property values on infested water bodies of up to $12,000 per property(2). Ecologically, aquatic invasive species' impacts include food-web disruptions, native species reduction or loss (and dependent species), water quality degradation, and the introduction of pathogens. Furthermore, ecosystem disruptions and imbalances can result in increased danger to human health.
This Burt Lake boat launch sign educates boaters about the invasive species to watch for as well as how to prevent their spread from one lake to another.
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How are we dealing with aquatic invasive species in northern Michigan?
The Watershed Council works on many fronts when it comes to invasive species.
1 U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. 2 Varney, R. W. 2004. Fighting the Spread of Invasive Species in Connecticut. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/region01/ra/column/archive/invasivespecies_ct_20040809.html |
Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring
In 2015, the Watershed Council began incorporating aquatic invasive species (AIS) monitoring into existing volunteer monitoring programs with support from the Joyce Foundation. Volunteers in the Watershed Council’s Volunteer Lake Monitoring, Volunteer Stream Monitoring, and Volunteer Botulism Monitoring Programs now receive additional training to learn to identify, document, and report AIS that are spreading through or threatening to invade Northern Michigan. This new element to our monitoring programs is called the “AIS Patrol”. The AIS Patrol is pivotal for our “early detection/rapid response” approach to controlling invasive species. Volunteer assistance with early detection enables the Watershed Council to more effectively protect our inland lakes, Great Lakes, and streams by rapidly implementing control measures and reducing the spread of AIS. If protecting our waters from invasive species is important to you, please consider joining the AIS Patrol!
In 2015, the Watershed Council began incorporating aquatic invasive species (AIS) monitoring into existing volunteer monitoring programs with support from the Joyce Foundation. Volunteers in the Watershed Council’s Volunteer Lake Monitoring, Volunteer Stream Monitoring, and Volunteer Botulism Monitoring Programs now receive additional training to learn to identify, document, and report AIS that are spreading through or threatening to invade Northern Michigan. This new element to our monitoring programs is called the “AIS Patrol”. The AIS Patrol is pivotal for our “early detection/rapid response” approach to controlling invasive species. Volunteer assistance with early detection enables the Watershed Council to more effectively protect our inland lakes, Great Lakes, and streams by rapidly implementing control measures and reducing the spread of AIS. If protecting our waters from invasive species is important to you, please consider joining the AIS Patrol!
