Workshop to share information about controlling zebra mussels

Via the St. Croix River Association:

Zebra mussels (Photo courtesy MN DNR)

Details:

• Cost: FREE; Suggested donation of $5-10 to help cover the cost of lunch; Registration required.
• Date: April 24, 2017
• Time: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  Location: Alliance Church of the Valley Student Center Building, St. Croix Falls, WI
• We will have coffee and tea, and offer a sandwich lunch. We are requesting $5-$10 donations to help cover the cost of lunch.

The public is invited to an all-day workshop on April 24 in St. Croix Falls, WI. The workshop will focus on zebra mussel monitoring, control, and watercraft decontamination. Speakers will include representatives from the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, and more.

Zebra mussels are small, fingernail-sized invasive mussels that can devastate native mussel populations. Native to Eastern Europe and Western Russia, zebra mussels were brought over in the ballast water of ships, and first found in the Great Lakes in 1988.

Today, zebra mussels have been found in the St. Croix River from Stillwater south to its confluence with the Mississippi River, and in nearby lakes such as Forest Lake in Washington County, Bass Lake in St. Croix County, Deer Lake in Polk County, and Big McKenzie Lake in Burnett and Washburn Counties.

Zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species are a threat to the overall health of the St. Croix River and its tributaries. One of the first eight nationally designated wild and scenic rivers, the St. Croix is one of the cleanest tributaries to the Mississippi River. It is a high-value fishery, and the healthy, diverse ecosystem includes at least 40 species of mussels, several of which are rare or endangered.

The introduction of aggressive invasive species into this complex system threatens the ecological integrity of the river as well as the unique cultural resources and our outdoor heritage.

Registration is required. Click here to register or learn more.

Contact:
Angelique Dahlberg, Invasive Species Coordinator, St. Croix River Association
(715) 483-3300 | angeliqued@scramail.com

Katelin Anderson, Information and Education Coordinator and Water Quality Specialist, Polk County Land and Water Resources Department
(715) 485-8637 | katelin.anderson@co.polk.wi.us