Do you take your boat to other lakes then return with it?

Or it may be your friends or renters who bring their boats to our lake. Did you ever consider these boats could be carrying invasive species that may negatively impact our ecosystem?

All boaters are now required to drain the bilge water and check their boats and trailers for any plants or other living organisms before launching in a new water body.  It’s a simple procedure, and one that you may do already – just pull the drain plug after you pull the boat out of the water, and carefully inspect the boat and trailer for plant material. It's now the law.

It’s also advised that you power wash and/or sun dry your boat before relaunching to ensure that you’re removing any tiny invasive creatures.

If we don’t act, things can change quickly. 

Invasive Species Study (2023)

SLCO is now participating in a FOCA invasive species study.

Since 2021, FOCA and the Invasive Species Centre (ISC) have partnered in a community science program called IsampleON (Invasive Species Awareness and Monitoring Program for Lakes Education Ontario), with funding from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

FOCA has selected volunteers on additional lakes this year (which includes Skeleton Lake) to help collect water samples from selected waterbodies. Utilizing the latest in eDNA detection technology, FOCA will be working with select lake associations through the summer of 2023 to broaden our collective understanding of the spread of harmful invasive species. Target species this year include European water chestnut (Trapa natans), and Water soldier (Stratiotes aloides).

Action is needed to protect inland lakes that are free from or at high risk of aquatic invasion.  with the number of transient boaters Skeleton Lake definitely fits the category.  

We will keep you updated of the results.  Stay tuned!

For more information