With the Fourth of July holiday only a week away, Iowans will be heading out to the state’s many lakes, streams and state parks over the next two weeks. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is encouraging boaters, kayakers, campers and other outdoor recreationists to take preventative steps to help slow the spread of invasive species. Emerald Ash Borer, more commonly referred to as EAB, has been confirmed in two-thirds of Iowa’s 99 counties. This tiny beetle wreaks havoc on native ash trees and spreads slowly on its own. However, this process is sped up through inadvertent transport of infected firewood to uninfected areas. Invasive species can be found almost everywhere, including Iowa’s waterways. Zebra mussels are one of the most harmful aquatic varieties, and were recently confirmed in Hancock County’s Crystal Lake. The tiny mollusks attach to almost any surface and cause a plethora of problems. They spread primarily through human transport and no effective controls exist once they have made their way into a new body of water. The DNR says preventing their spread is as simple as cleaning any plants, animals or mud from boats and equipment before leaving a water body, draining all water from bilges, ballast bags and other similar items and drying anything that comes in contact with the water before leaving. For more information on Iowa’s invasive species and ways to prevent their spread, follow the links included with this story on our website.
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https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/us/iowa
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/ia/technical/ecoscience/invasive/
https://www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation/Forestry/Forest-Health/Emerald-Ash-Borer
https://www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation/Forestry/Forest-Health/Invasive-Plants
https://www.iowadnr.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=7BS3FUtdyPk%3D&tabid=1045
