How to prevent spreading invasive species when boating this summer – WCAX

April 17, 2022

Read Time:57 Second

PLATTSBURGH, N. Y.. (WCAX) — It’s that time of year when you may be itching to break your boat out and get it back in the water.

At boat launches in New York, you’ll see a table at the launches with seasonal staff from the Adirondack Watershed Institute.

It’s part associated with the Adirondack Park Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program. They explain to boaters the importance of washing down their watercraft before and after boats have been in the water.

The bath for your boat will make sure you aren’t bringing any nonnative species into different bodies of water.

“Adequately cleaning their equipment before they launch and doing the particular same thing after they obtain out because a lot of our water bodies do have invasive species in them, so it’s not just going in it’s also coming out, ” said Dan Kelting from the Adirondack Watershed Institute. “Do the same things you did on the way in and the way out. ”

They also will have free washing stations to teach boaters how to properly wash their watercraft.