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HASTINGS, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources routinely checks for invasive species on boats coming out of the St. Croix River. This weekend the DNR will be getting some extra help as part of an extra effort to make sure boaters are educated and aware.
After a morning of landing nothing, other than his boat at the end, Denny Costello is pretty sure his boat is not carrying anything invasive out of the St. Croix.
“This is the only place I’ve fished this year, so anything I took out came back in here, but you don’t want anything on your boat,” said Costello. “You don’t want to be spreading anything anywhere.”
Even so, he was happy to take up the Minnesota DNR on a boat decontamination.
The conservation officers look for zebra mussels or milfoil in the rollers, then give a 140 degree wash to kill anything living, followed by a high pressure spray to wash anything else away.
The DNR is often on the St. Croix, but this weekend, there is a bigger focus on boats on the river. The DNR will be back at St. Croix Bluffs Saturday and a Boom Site Landing in Stillwater on Monday. While further north, Chisago County will be at the Osceola Landing Friday through Sunday.