Zebra mussels confirmed in Grove Lake in Pope County, Charlotte Lake in Todd County

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Grove Lake, near the town of Grove Lake in Pope County, and Charlotte Lake, near Long Prairie in Todd County.

A lake property owner contacted the DNR after finding a zebra mussel attached to a native mussel in Grove Lake. A DNR invasive species specialist later found another zebra mussel at the city park access, about one-half mile from the location of the initial discovery.

After receiving two reports of zebra mussels from people recreating at the public beach on Charlotte Lake, a DNR invasive species specialist found multiple zebra mussels in the beach area. Charlotte Lake is about 1.5 miles upstream of the Long Prairie River, where zebra mussels were previously confirmed.

While zebra mussels and other invasive species can be introduced to a lake via private docks and accesses, public accesses and beaches are typically the first places to be surveyed when the DNR receives a zebra mussel report.

Whether or not a lake has any invasive species, Minnesota law requires people to:

• Clean watercraft, trailers and equipment to remove aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species.
• Drain all water and leave drain plugs out during transport.
• Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.
• Never release bait, plants or aquarium pets into Minnesota waters.
• Dry docks, lifts and rafts for 21 days before moving them from one water body to another.

These additional steps reduce the risk of spreading aquatic invasive species:

• Decontaminate watercraft and equipment – find free stations on the courtesy decontamination page of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/decon).
• Spray watercraft and equipment with high-pressure water or rinse with very hot water (120 degrees for at least two minutes or 140 degrees for at least 10 seconds).
• Dry watercraft and equipment for at least five days before using in another water body.

People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist (mndnr.gov/invasives/ais/contacts.html) if they think they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species that was not already known to be in the water body.

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