Our summer reading program this year is dedicated to the world's oceans and water supplies. Only about 1% of the world's water is drinkable and every living being needs water. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes account for more than 22% of the world's fresh water supply. It is an incredibly valuable resource that we have been made stewards of by living in the Midwest. It's time we take a look at what we can do to keep it healthy and usable. As such, we are taking a look at some of the things we can do to help take care of our waterways. Every week this summer we will be taking a look at some of the little things we can do to keep our waters clean, healthy, and usable, maintain the ecosystem, and in general do our part to take care of our planet. Let's take a look:
On the Water
We've covered the home. We've even ventured into our yard. Now let's go a little farther. Even a day at the beach, if you go to the beach, or trip on the water, can have unforeseen consequences. We'll look at some simple habits you can put into effect that can protect the quality of our drinking water and waterways.
#9 - Protect Against Invasive Species
What Are Invasive Species
Invasive species are nonnative plants and animals that are, whether intentionally or not, introduced to an area and prove to either have so few natural predators or be otherwise so successful in surviving and thriving that they take over a given area, crowding out native species and upsetting the local ecosystem. Of course, we are one of the most invasive species out there, regularly changing the landscape and threatening local inhabitants. But this post isn't about going on an ecological crusade against human progress. Before we take ourselves to task, let's start with something a little simpler. Let's start with limiting our introduction of other invasives and move on from there.
One of the most famous examples of this is the rabbit in Australia. The domesticated rabbit was brought over to Australia on the First Fleet in the early to mid 1800s (officially 1859, but the first reported siting of feral rabbits was in 1827 Tasmania). They were seen as a fun, easy animal to hunt. Unfortunately the rabbit had little to no natural predators and according to the documentary to the right, in seven years, the population went from 24 rabbits to 14,000. And it took less than 50 years for the feral children of the original domestics to overrun the entire continent, despite drastic efforts to curb their spread. They are still a major problem today. They have out-eaten competition, out-thought us, out-bred, out-... well almost everything every competitor and predator out there. They are an example of what an invasive species can do. They are almost as out of control as kudzu grows in Southern United States (which unchecked grows at a foot a day and expands its reach farther inland every year). For more information on kudzu, see this link.
Here in Wisconsin, we have a few inroads for invasive species to cause havoc. With our vast forests and ample waters, we have so many natural resources for nonnative flora and fauna to get in to. We'll focus on water plants and animals, but if you are really interested, there is plenty of information out there about native plant gardening as well.
In terms of plants, we have things like Eurasian water milfoil. You know the stuff. A little in a lake or river and pretty soon you have forests of weeds.
Then we get to sea creatures like zebra mussels and sea lampreys. According to various DNR sites, Zebra mussels adhere to all hard surfaces, including the shells of native mussels, turtles, and crustaceans. In the Midwest they destroy boat engines, foul beaches, and caused damage to boat ramps and docks. They have been a problem since the mid '80s when contaminated cargo ship ballast water was discharged while in Lake Superior.
Sea lampreys have been in our area a bit longer, having first been sited in the early to mid '30s, travelling upstream through canals which bypassed previously inaccessible areas and allowing them access over the course of that decade all the way up from the Atlantic into Lake Superior. It has survived 340 million years and at least 4 major extinction events with very little physical change. Known as the vampire of the sea, the sea lamprey parasitically subsists on the blood of local fauna and decimate fish populations in areas they are not native to. Let's not start on the more recent Asian Carp and their decimation of local fish populations. But there are things we can do to minimize our part in these incursions.
What Can I Do?
Let's focus on the water. Native plant gardening can be for another day. Something that can easily be overlooked when planning your day on the water is that if you have taken your boat to another body of water, whether lake, river, or stream, make sure you clean it before you bring it to any other body of water.
The DNR has a great list of dos and don'ts to keep our waters safe. The most important points however seem to be to inspect your vehicle (including any compartments and motor), any trailer you use to transport it, and any equipment used with it, remove any attached aquatic plants/animals, mud, debris after launching/loading/transporting, and always remove any mud or sediment and drain all water from everything before leaving the area. This is true for whatever watercraft or equipment is used. Actually, it is recommended that you do this with whatever you are doing. Hiking, fishing, camping, anything out doors can be a transmission source. Taking good care of your equipment and cleaning what you use isn't just a smart way for your equipment to last longer. It helps prevent invasive species. This way we don't accidentally move plants and/or animals from one location to another and inadvertently assist in these invasions.
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