State to Spend $1 Million on Boat Cleaning Stations to Combat Spread of Starry Stonewort

(KNSI) – The state’s latest budget allocated $1 million to combat the spread of a particular aquatic invasive species.

Starry stonewort is a grass-like form of algae that can interfere with recreational uses of water. It forms dense mats on the surface that can choke off native vegetation and disrupt a lake’s ecosystem.

Starry stonewort was recently discovered in Leech Lake and is also in 15 other lakes around Minnesota. The state is using the newly approved funding to purchase cleaning stations that will be placed at affected bodies of water that boaters can use to wash their boat, motor, and trailer before they leave.

Mark Apfelbacher is with CD3 Systems, the Minnesota-based company that developed the stations. The self-service kiosks are waterless cleaning systems that use a wet/dry vacuum, a blower system, tethered hand tools, and lights. “We wanted to make sure that we’re creating something that’s not “Big Brother” but “Fun Uncle” that gives people the tools to take the actions themselves.”

A study done by the University of Minnesota and partially funded by CD3 showed that simply pulling the drain plug when pulling a boat out of the water may not be enough to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species like starry stonewort. Residual water left in a watercraft can still contain bits of the algae, Eurasian watermilfoil, and zebra mussels and potentially be released into another body of water. The study showed using a vacuum in the bilge area and livewell can remove all or almost all of that water.

Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates executive director Jeff Forester says it’s like Adopt a Highway, but for boats. Instead of cleaning up garbage, people are cleaning up their watercraft. He says the stations are easy to use, and cleaning usually takes between three and five minutes.

Minnesota is a popular destination for water recreation. Forester acknowledges there may be challenges in making connections with out-of-state boaters or people who have cabins in Minnesota but live in other states to get them on board using the stations. He says that’s where lake associations can help.

“The lake association can then reach out to those people and say ‘Here’s why it’s important, here’s what you can do.’ ‘It’s not a big deal, but it just needs to become a habit.'”

Starry stonewort was first discovered in Lake Koronis near Paynesville in 2015.

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MNC Reporter Mike Moen contributed to this report.

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