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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

So far so good with Vermilion AIS effort

Marshall Helmberger
Posted 5/27/16

LAKE VERMILION— The first two weekends of intensive boat inspection on Lake Vermilion have gone off without any major incidents or violations. “The public seems pretty receptive to what we’re …

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So far so good with Vermilion AIS effort

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LAKE VERMILION— The first two weekends of intensive boat inspection on Lake Vermilion have gone off without any major incidents or violations. “The public seems pretty receptive to what we’re doing,” said Phil Norvitch, with the North St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservation District, who is overseeing the inspection effort in cooperation with the Lake Vermilion Sportsmen’s Club.

The two groups have hired about 25 boat inspectors for the summer and fall, utilizing a major grant through St. Louis County. It’s a two-pronged effort, to try to head off the introduction of any new aquatic invasive species (AIS) into Lake Vermilion and to educate the public about the threat posed by AIS in lakes across Minnesota.

“Vermilion’s a good place to do this,” said Jeff Lovgren, president of the Sportsman’s Club. That’s because Vermilion is an exceptional lake, that residents want to protect from invasive species, and because it draws large numbers of anglers from all across the state, making it a logical place to undertake a major education effort.

The inspectors, all of whom have been trained and certified, are fanning out to each of the lake’s 12 public access points. At some of the busier launches, inspectors will likely be on hand most of the time, while some of the lonelier launch points may see more infrequent coverage. Initially, Norvitch said he expects more limited coverage during the week, with the inspections ramping up on weekends. “It will really depend on traffic patterns,” said Norvitch. “We’ll be adjusting as we go.”

Inspectors found no violations on fishing opener weekend, said Norvitch, but that’s not surprising, he said, since most of the boats hadn’t been in the water since last summer or fall.

As the summer progresses, and anglers and boaters move from lake to lake, the potential for violations will likely increase, according to Norvitch.

While the inspectors are focused, in part, on preventing the introduction of new invasive species into Lake Vermilion, Lovgren noted that inspectors are also raising awareness about the recent discovery of spiny waterfleas in Vermilion, and are working to prevent its spread to other lakes. “We’re worrying about the boats going out as well,” said Lovgren. “We were never going to ignore that, but we now have to be very conscious of it going forward.”

Besides inspectors, the county’s AIS grant is also funding the purchase of two boat decontamination units, which will provide boaters who may have invasive species, such as zebra mussels, on boat hulls or trailers, an easy way to get them cleaned the right way, at no cost. Lovgren said the team hopes to have the decontamination units deployed by early June. One is scheduled to be set up in Cook, at the Country Store, with a Tower area location yet to be determined.

While the inspection effort has its direct goals, it has a nice spinoff for the roughly two-dozen inspectors, who now have part-time employment, making about $12.50.hour.

Norvitch said he expects most inspectors will average about 20 hours a week, and the work could continue, for those who wish, well into the fall. “It’s a great summer job,” he said, noting that inspectors get to work outdoors. “That probably wasn’t a selling point on opener,” he joked, when high winds and temperatures at or below freezing made for winter-like windchills. But that kind of weather, fortunately, doesn’t reappear in the forecast any time soon.