Boaters – Remember “Clean – Drain – Dry”

There are dangerous plants in many Michigan lakes and rivers.  There are also plenty of dangerous invasive species of bugs and critters.  All are easily transported and their range and impact extended by hitching a ride on boats and trailers. So the state is again sending people to boat launches scattered around the state this week in what it calls a “Landing Blitz”. The mostly volunteer representatives of the state will be offering boaters reminders of the basics of how to keep invasive species from getting moved to lakes and rivers where they can get a new foothold.

The message is making sure boaters remember and then put this key phrase to work. Clean, drain, and dry.

Clean the boat and trailer once they are out of the water. Preferably there at the launch site. Drain any water from the boat, especially live wells, again there at the launch.  Then make sure everything has been thoroughly dried before putting the trailer and boat into another body of water.

Some parks and launches have top-level services to help with that, like Prairieville Township park at nearby popular Gull Lake which has a set-aside area with a couple bays for washing with a high-pressure hose like at a car wash. Other more primitive launches including many Michigan Department of Natural Resources lake access sites, that have nothing. In which case boaters can only be asked to do their best.