Invasive Plant Management

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS): AIS are non-native species that out-compete native species for food and habitat. They often spread rapidly and can have negative ecological and economic impacts on aquatic habitats. The SWCD implements Ramsey County’s AIS prevention program. Examples of AIS program initiatives include educational outreach, planning efforts, AIS monitoring and watercraft inspections.

The Aquatic Invasive Species program now has the use of a decontamination unit at boat launches around the county. This decontamination unit is used to treat boats before and after they have been in a water body. The decontamination unit holds up to 500 pounds of water in two tanks. This water then gets pumped and heated to allow a watercraft inspector to spray boats at recommended temperatures and pressures for killing zebra mussels and other invasive species. Remember to Clean, Drain and Dry after exiting infested water.