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Water Based Invasive Species

 

Infested Waters: Below is a list and map from the MN DNR of infested waters, including only infested waters on the FDL Reservation, 1854, and 1837 Ceded Territories. The highlighted water bodies are those added to the list by the FDL invasive species program, focusing mostly on lakes on the Reservation. This list was last updated February 21, 2023. A full list can be found on the MN DNR’s website by clicking here.
Infested Waters List
Infested Waters Map


Decon 101: Below is a snapshot version of what you can do to decontaminate your aquatic (and terrestrial) equipment and prevent the spread of invasive species.
Decon 101

The Fond du Lac invasive species department has a mandatory inspection and decontamination policy for anyone participating in treaty fishing activities in the spring and fall, and encourages everyone to follow best management practices at any time of year when participating in water activities. For more information and/ or questions, please contact the invasive species coordinator.


Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers: Another campaign focusing on the prevention of spread for aquatic invasive species is “Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers” which focuses on CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY.

  • CLEAN off visible aquatic plants, animals, and mud from all equipment before leaving water access.
  • DRAIN watercraft bilge, livewell, motor and other water containing devices before leaving water access.
  • DRY everything for at least five days OR wipe with a towel before reuse.
  • DISPOSE of unwanted bait, worms, and fish parts in the trash. When keeping live bait, drain bait containers and replace with spring or dechlorinated tap water. Never dump live fish or other organisms from one water body into another.

Current Aquatic Invasive Species within FDL Reservation:

Chinese Mystery Snail: Currently, Chinese mystery snail has been the most prevalent aquatic invasive species found on the FDL Reservation. The invasive species program is working to determine behavior and unknown impacts of mystery snail, as well as how to prevent these from spreading to other lakes in the area through removal and decontamination. For information fromthe MN DNR , on identification of the mystery snail please click here: Chinese Mystery Snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis) | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us).

Curly Leaf Pondweed: Curly Leaf Pondweed has been found in two locations in the St. Louis River bordering the FDL Reservation. They were manually removed and have not been seen since, but the FDL invasive species team continues to monitor these populations. For more information from the MN DNR on how to I.D. Curly Leaf Pondweed, please click here: Curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us)


Other Aquatic Invasive Species of Note:

Rusty Crayfish Impacts to Wild Rice: One of the main aquatic invasive species of concern to FDL is rusty crayfish due to their extremely detrimental impacts to wild rice. A report published by the 1854 Treaty Authority, and authored by the FDL invasive species coordinator, outlines the impacts of rusty crayfish on wild rice and why early detection is critical in their control and prevention of spread.
Rusty Crayfish Report

In 2020, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling detected two locations with rusty crayfish at extremely low rates. However, any live sample of crayfish has yet to be detected. These locations are currently labeled in the infested waters list/ map, but FDL has yet to detect any live crayfish in these or other locations within the Reservation. For more information on how to identify rusty crayfish, please click here: Rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us)