As the weather warms up and people start to participate in outdoor recreation, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources shares important guidelines for boaters, especially those traveling from one body of water to another.
Aquatic hitchhikers such as quagga mussels are a highly invasive and destructive freshwater species that are spread when they attach themselves to boats or watercraft and are then transported to another body of water.
In order to prevent and slow the spread of these harmful mussels, boaters need to remember to clean, drain, and dry their boats between launches, even into the same body of water.
Items that should be cleaned after use include boats, trailers, fishing equipment, waders, other recreational equipment, and other watercrafts such as canoes and paddleboards.
To properly drain your boat, ensure you remove the drain plug and empty the bilge, live wells, and ballast.
Finally, to help prevent the spread of invasive species, boats should be allowed to air dry for around 5 days to lower the risk of aquatic hitchhikers. If a 5-day dry time is not possible, power washing and drying your boat to the best of your ability is strongly recommended.
More information can be found online at stopaquatichitchhikers.org.
