Invasive Species in Wisconsin

Invasive species are on the “hot list” these days, especially in Wisconsin. After volunteering as a watercraft inspector in Northern Wisconsin for the last six years and educating boaters on the impacts of invasive species, I have learned a lot of valuable and shocking information. A lot of this effects myself personally, as this is an issue in the Minocaqua area where I spend a lot of time recreating.

First off, most people know that invasive species are not native to the area in which they are taking over. However, what people do not realize are the other impacts beyond environmental harm that these exotics cause, such as economic harm and human health issues.

When considering economic harm, the most obvious impact is in the form of removal. Removing and eradicating established populations is extremely difficult and nearly impossible to do, and will require years of continued removal and treatment efforts. In the Minocaqua chain of lakes, Eurasian Water Milfoil has contaminated much of the chain for almost five years now. Each year extensive removal efforts, including mechanical removal, hand pulling and chemical treatments are done multiple times throughout the year. But because of the plant’s autecology, the busyness of the waterways, and the extent of the infestation, efforts are largely ineffective. However, treatments must be maintained none the less, or small vacation towns will suffer even more economic harm in the form of lost tourism and industry. Many of the small summer vacation towns in Northern Wisconsin depend on the summer tourist season to sustain them through the winter months, and the major draw for these towns is the water resources and excellent fisheries. However, because invasive species choke out native plants, food sources and habitats, fisheries will begin to decline. Water quality is also heavily impacted by these invasives. Often times the waterways will become completely engulfed in mats of vegetation, making it impossible to swim, boat or fish the waterways. Native plants and fishes will be choked out, making the water body an ecological dead zone. This will seriously impact people’s recreational activities and experiences in the Northwoods. A floundering fishery will deter anglers from coming to the area and the poor water quality can cause a plummet in lake front property values and make water activities undesirable. This, overtime, can cause great economic devastation to these small Northwood towns.

Another effect of invasive species that is not often considered is the harm that they can have on human health. A new invader that is making its way inland from the great lakes is the Zebra Mussel. This tiny half inch clam clings to every hard surface underneath the water, including docks, boats, ladders, rocks, floating piers and anchors and is razor sharp. In areas that have these clams, lacerations and cuts are quite common when entering the water, some quite severe. This introduces the possibility of disease and infections. Since very little is known about invasive species, it’s not clear what type of diseases they may carry with them and if they can be transmitted to people.

The consequences of invasive species are complicated and obscure to see at times, and their devastating effects have just started to be noticed in last few years. How we handle this situation today will decide what kind of ecological, economic and social impacts we will have in the future. This issue is not just local, there is great harm coming to the Great lake fisheries right now, problems in the Midwest, Texas, Florida and elsewhere in the U.S that I have not discussed. This is an issue that doesn’t just affect me, but can in one way or another effect all of us.