LATEST NEWS
State Boating Regulations: Prevent Spread of Invasive Species
Nothing says summer quite like flying across blue water under a brilliant sun. Wiping your face as the wind splashes droplets everywhere. Whether you’re headed to a remote fishing spot or a bustling locale, boating creates memories of the warmest caliber.
It’s a privilege to have a boat and take it out onto the water.
And with privilege comes great responsibility.
Although each state has their own specific laws to prevent the spread of invasive species (find links below) they share some basic principles:
State Boating Regulations to Prevent the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species
DRAIN
Drain any and all areas of the boat that hold water: boat and ballast tanks, motor, portable bait containers, and bilge.
REMOVE PLUGS TO TRANSPORT
Remove plugs to bilge, livewell, and baitwell and keep unplugged while transporting watercraft.
CLEAN
Clean the boat, preferably with steaming, high pressure water. Wash off all vegetation, zebra mussels (kill with water at 140F for 10 seconds), and other hitchhikers before leaving any shore or boat ramp.
DISPOSE
Throw unwanted bait (minnows, leeches, worms) in the trash. If you want to keep bait, refill container with tap or bottled water. Note that it is illegal to release bait or animals from one waterbody to another.
DRY
The optimal drying time is 5 days, but wiping with a towel before reuse is sufficient.
RUN THE MOTOR
Before leaving a water access point, run the motor to discharge any water.
BRING A COOLER
Transfer your fish on ice.
Watch How to Clean, Drain and Dry:
Additionally, inspect and clean other equipment: nets, boats, skis, flippers, decoys, flotation devices.
LIST OF US STATES & INVASIVE SPECIES BOATING REGULATIONS
AK
AL (pg 14)
AR
AZ
CA
CO (pg 16)
CT
FL
GA
IA
ID
IL
IN
KT (pg 24)
LA
MA
MI
ME (pg 2)
MD (pg 2)
MN
MO
NE
NH
NJ (pg 14)
NM
NY
OH
OR
PA
SC (pg 37)
TN (pg 47)
TX
UT
VT
WA
WV
WI
For More Information:
To Prevent Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species in Your Lake Read More
