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Kalar outlines county plan for invasives task force
Published 11:03am Wednesday, January 4, 2012Otter Tail County on Tuesday moved a step closer to establishment of an Aqautic Invasive Species Task Force that would deal with enforcement and other action plans. A proposal, outlined by County Land and Resource Director Bill Kalar, includes collaboration with adjoining counties, lake associations, dock and boat lift businesses and others.
“Lake associations will play an especially big role with successful efforts as part of the task force,” said Kalar. “We’ll also work closely with the DNR which uses high pressure water on boats to keep zebra mussels at bay on area lakes.”
Late last year the Otter Tail County Board voted to join in the fight for more regulation and enforcement to stop the spread of invasive species. The board also took the first step in forming a task force to develop specific ways to protect lakes in this area.
Kalar will come up with more proposals at a future board meeting.
On Tuesday he recommended that the task force be comprised of 10 to 15 members. On the panel, in addition to county, DNR and lake association representatives, would be members of the sheriff’s department, Coalition of Lake Associations (COLA), and other agencies and organizations.
“The task force would work in an advisory capacity for the five-person county board of commissioners,” said Kalar. “We on the task force also would work with resort owners, look at establishing foot patrols along area lakes and assist with training of inspectors.”
County board member Wayne Johnson said it’s good to see that establishment of the task force was citizen driven, with support of the five county commissioners.
“It’s also good that the task force will get the dock and lift providers involved,” said county board member John Linquist, who on Tuesday relinquished his chairmanship to fellow Commissioner Lee Rogness. “This (invasives fight) has to be a coordinated effort.”
As for sheriff’s department involvement, the discussion on Tuesday also included possible participation from not only deputies but the sheriff’s posse. Training would be needed for many of the organizations, said Kalar.
Nate Olson and Melody Webb of the DNR will be good resources for advice for task force members, said Kalar. Olson is aquatic invasive species specialist and Webb is area supervisor, DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
Another resource person will be Steve Henry of the Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation Districts, who is a lakescaping expert.
This past fall low concentrations of copper, known to be toxic to zebra mussels, were used at Rose Lake, northeast of Vergas. Rose Lake flows into Long Lake, and Long Lake then flows into the Otter Tail River.
Jeff Stabnow, president of the Otter Tail County Coalition of Lake Associations (COLA) and Tera Guetter, administrator of the Pelican River Watershed District that’s based in Detroit Lakes, said that collaboration between Otter Tail County and Becker County is underway to fight invasives.
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According to Luke Skinner, DNR aquatic invasive species unit supervisor, “Boaters are still the first line of defense against aquatic invasive species. The DNR is helping to ensure their compliance. It can require inspections, deny launch, order removal of invasives and require hot-water flushing and high-pressure washing.”
The DNR trained 17 invasive species staff to implement the new inspection authorities and operate newly purchased decontamination (boat washing) units. The portable decontamination units are capable of spraying 160-degree water at high pressure.
The equipment is used to remove zebra mussels from boat hulls and treat livewells and other areas that can harbor invasive species.
The DNR, with blasts of hot, high pressure water, hope to keep zebra mussels at bay on several Minnesota lakes, including Pelican Lake near Pelican Rapids. Late last year the agency unveiled its new decontamination units to remove the invasive species from boats.
