Explainer

Aquatic invasive species are moved between waters almost entirely by people, and the vector is usually a boat, a trailer or a pair of waders.

What is being prevented

Zebra and quagga mussels colonise hard surfaces, clog water intakes and infrastructure, and strip plankton out of a food web. Once established in a lake, they are effectively permanent.

Invasive plants such as hydrilla and Eurasian watermilfoil form dense mats that crowd out native vegetation and make water unusable for boating and swimming.

Whirling disease and other pathogens travel in water and on wet gear.

The common feature is that eradication after establishment is rarely possible. Prevention is the whole strategy.

The protocol

Clean. Remove all visible plants, animals, mud and debris from the boat, trailer, motor and gear before leaving the access.

Drain. Empty every space that holds water — livewells, bilge, ballast, motor, buckets. Many states require drain plugs removed during transport, and that is an enforceable rule, not a suggestion.

Dry. Allow everything to dry completely before entering another water. Recommended drying times vary; where drying is not practical, decontamination with hot water is the alternative.

Waders and felt soles

Anglers on foot are a vector too. Felt-soled wading boots hold moisture and organisms for a long time and are prohibited in several states for that reason.

Rubber soles dry faster and are the general replacement.

Inspection stations

Many western states operate mandatory watercraft inspection stations, and passing one without stopping is a violation. Some require decontamination certificates for boats arriving from infested waters.

Those stations exist because the cost of a single introduction — to a water body, to municipal infrastructure — is orders of magnitude greater than the cost of inspecting every boat that passes.

This article was researched and drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, fact-checked and edited by Leonidas Clark before publication. Rules vary by water and state; confirm before you fish.