35 years since first zebra mussels discovered in Minnesota, where are we now?

Well, welcome back to all of you except for Zebra Mussels. Not that you're watching, this is the time of year that that invasive species shows their cards when we are getting our boats and docks out of the water and it will take all of us to stop zebra Mussels in their tracks as they really can cause problems with our beloved waterways. Here's Gordon Severson, the DN. Our building here at the fair is a great place to learn about all the native fish and animals we have here in Minnesota and some of the non native species, many of them are invasive like the zebra mussel. And few people know more about Zebra Mussels than Tina Fitzgerald. She supervises the dnr's watercraft inspector, team clean your boat on Friday. She was at the state fair raising awareness of Zebra Mussels. So this is a a that fell through the ice in the Mississippi River and it's actually covered with zebra muscles. Her exhibit also has an interactive game. This is our muck hunt game that teaches kids how to properly clean their boat. This boat and trailer need to be cleaned. They are fun ways to raise awareness of a very serious problem. They don't have natural predators, so there's nothing to keep them in check. Fitzgerald says, Zebra Mussels eat algae, which is the foundation of a lake's ecosystem. If the Mussels eat enough algae, the zooplankton can die off a with the fish that eat them and the bigger fish that eat them. It affects our sport fishing industry, it affects our tourism industry. Fitzgerald says Zebra Mussels were first discovered in Lake Superior in 1989. Since then, they have spread to 311 water bodies, which is about 4% of the lakes in Minnesota. As you can see in this interactive map, the infested lakes and rivers are spread out across the state. Zebra Mussels can spread by attaching to hard surfaces. So anything that is moored in the water for more than 28 48 hours, Zebra Mussels can attach. Fitzgerald says Zebra Mussels will often attach to docks, boat lifts and rafts, which is why there is now a state law that says when you pull them out of the water, they must be on dry land for at least 21 days before you can move them into another body of water. Typically, if they're like on the outside of a boat hull and it's really hot and dry, they'll die in five or less days. But for docks and lifts, we want to be extra, extra safe because there's pipes and things that hold water. The DNR says it's inevitable. Zebra Mussels will spread to other lakes and once they're in the water, it's impossible to remove them all. That's why the agency and local partners are asking Minnesotans for help to keep this invasive species out of our 10,000 lakes. Anyone that touches Minnesota waters has a role to play in preventing their spread. Gordon Severson Car.