Aquatic Nuisance Species

Questions and Answers

What is Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)?
ANS include species of animals, plants, and even diseases which are not native to North Dakota and have the likelihood to become well established if introduced. If/when introduced, the ANS then have the ability to displace native flora and fauna, and cause serious hardships (including financial) to the citizens of North Dakota.

Why are ANS such a big deal?
The impacts of ANS can be very significant and what makes it such a big deal is that they are very expensive to eliminate from a water body (if even possible). Once established, the cost of controlling the ANS and its impacts to the state’s natural resources far exceeds the minimal costs of taking the necessary measures of keeping ANS from North Dakota. Not only can recreational fisheries suffer due to ANS but also other industries that rely on water supply.

Where do I find out what is an ANS?
Go the ANS tab posted on the Game and Fish Department’s home page. This site will be updated periodically and will be viewed as the official source of ANS information. In addition, there will be occasional news releases issued on this matter.

How do I know which water bodies in North Dakota have ANS?
The above website will be updated periodically and will be viewed as the official source of ANS infested waters and other information. In addition, the North Dakota Outdoors magazine and periodic press releases will be used to inform the public of changes to the ANS lists.

How will these new regulations affect me when I go fishing or boating next year?
To comply with the regulations, you simply need to:

• remove all aquatic vegetation from your boat, trailer, etc when you leave the water body
• drain all water from your boat at the ramp site before you leave the water body (note: livewells and bait buckets are exempt)
• do not dump unwanted bait into a water body

Not only will you have complied with the regulations, you will have done your part to keep ANS from spreading.

I go directly from home to a fishing lake and back home. Why is this a problem?
Although you may go directly home, the following day(s) you may decide to go boat or fish on another water body. ANS can live for prolong periods in standing water areas of a boat which means they may get transported into a new water body. Also, although your intentions were to go straight home, boaters and anglers frequently get side-tracked and end up on other water bodies. This can become a very common means of transporting aquatic weeds and ANS from one water body to another.

Why do regulations affect all anglers and boaters at all water bodies when only a handful of lakes have ANS?
The regulations are to prevent the movement of ANS to new locations. It becomes a logistical nightmare to identify the specific lakes that have infested ANS water and then get that message to all the public. Even though the majority may understand, the reality is it requires 100% compliance. Case in point is the Missouri River, which is infested with curlyleaf pondweed. Anglers from across the state come to the Missouri River to boat and/or fish. If they’re not in the routine of following specific ANS rules and regulations in fishing lakes near where they live (because an ANS species is not present), they won’t be in the habit of cleaning their boat, trailer, etc. of weeds and water when they leave the river … and thus they can easily transport curlyleaf pondweed to their ‘home’ fishing lake. With tens of thousands of boats using the Missouri every year, someone’s boat was likely the source of curlyleaf pondweed which infested McDowell Dam five miles east of Bismarck.

Also, a new infestation of ANS in a lake may become well established before it is found or reported to the Department … until it’s too late as people may have already moved the ANS to other waters. A statewide regulation is easier to enforce and simple for all to comprehend. ANS regulations are designed to prevent all of the state’s waters from having new infestations of ANS.

How do I legally move my minnows?
Nothing changes; bait buckets and bait livewells continue to be legal for transporting aquatic fish baits. Although it’s recognized that these could be pathways for moving an ANS from one water body to another, the threat at this time is less than the need of anglers to transport their bait. Just make sure the water in your bait bucket or livewell is free of vegetation.

Can I use the boat’s bait-well or live well for bait fish or to keep fish I caught alive and fresh until I get home?
Yes, but the water must be free of aquatic vegetation or parts there of. The bilge must be drained when you are off of the water.

Are there issues with trapping my own bait and water transport?
Yes; as a licensed angler you may continue to transport your trapped bait; however, the container used to transport bait must be free of aquatic vegetation (and of course ANS).

Do I have to run my motor dry also before I leave a lake?
No. The amount of water in the motor’s cooling system is so minimal that it holds a small risk of containing ANS.  Running a motor when it’s out of water may lead to overheating and motor damage.  The minimal risk simply doesn’t justify the potential to cause engine damage.  As you exit a lake, lower the motor to let gravity drain the lower unit, then raise to transport. With this said, the intake screen should be inspected and free of aquatic vegetation and ANS, just like rest of the boat. 

Can I drain water from my boat anywhere?
No; you must drain the water (pull all plugs, etc) back into the lake in which it originates. This must be done at the access site before you leave the lake.

Is there a concern with kids transporting critters in buckets such as crayfish and salamanders?
Yes, to some degree, but more so the concern is aquatic vegetation. Since crayfish and salamanders are legal bait they may be transported but again they cannot have any aquatic vegetation.

Do I need to dispose of the weeds or can they be thrown on the ground/parking lot?
Weeds should be disposed into the water in which they originate, to keep the parking lots and access areas clean.

Do these new rules include waterfowl hunting boats, decoys, etc.?
Yes; all submergent weeds must be removed from duck boats, decoys, etc. before they leave the slough in which they’re hunting. NOTE: this does not include emergent vegetation such as cattails and bulrushes often used as hunting blinds.

As a resident licensed angler who lives on the North Dakota border, can I cross the stateline, purchase legal aquatic bait and import this bait back into North Dakota to be used for personal use?
No; aquatic bait (including fathead minnows and leeches) may not be imported into North Dakota.

What happens in the cases where the only retail bait vendor is immediately across the border in Minnesota, South Dakota or Montana? Otherwise, I may have to drive 30-50 miles just to obtain fathead minnows to fish a North Dakota water body.
Sorry but you still cannot purchase live aquatic bait while out-of-state and import back into North Dakota for fishing. Making exceptions leads to enforcement issues. Further, making exceptions for a few becomes very problematic as to where to draw the line.

Why doesn’t the ND Game and Fish Dept provide boat washes at all fishing, hunting and boating sites?
Simply put, it is unrealistic as there are more than 330 operational public boat ramps and literally thousands of sloughs accessible for hunting. Boat washes would need electricity to operate which generally isn’t feasible. In addition, long-term operations and maintenance would be very costly. Some high use ramps in areas of ANS infested waters may be possibilities in the future.

Why doesn’t ND Game and Fish Dept have officers/staff stationed at all waters to inspect boats?
The Department has one of the smallest staffs in the nation and currently all staff are fully involved with their responsibilities. Some reprioritization has occurred but it’s totally unrealistic to provide staff at all access sites. There are 330 public ramps yet only about 150 Department staff (34 wardens, 23 fisheries staff). Access sites are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Obviously, a combination of rules coupled with a knowledgeable and concerned public is the answer for boat inspections, etc.

I want to take the extra measure to ensure my boat does not transfer any ANS.  Do I have to do something special to my live well to disinfect?
Although it’s not required by the new regulations, you can disinfect your boat to help prevent spreading ANS. Disinfecting can be done by adding hot water to the livewell along with enough household chlorine bleach to reach a solution of 1 part bleach to 20 parts water. Run the recirculation pumps and use a brush (a toilet brush works well) to scrub under the lid and in the corners. Drain the disinfection solution in an appropriate location, not into the lake. Make sure to rinse thoroughly to remove the bleach before your next use. ALSO: Air drying can be effective in preventing ANS transfer. The livewell, bilge, and equipment must be allowed to completely dry, which may take a few days for the bilge. However, some ANS produce hardy seeds and eggs which can withstand extended periods out of the water; in these cases, air drying is not the answer.

Where can I go to clean or disinfect my boat?
Power-washing can remove lake scum and unseen hitchhikers, such as small plant fragments or egg masses, and other things from hard to reach places such as trailer frames and livewells. Use a commercial car wash which runs water through sewer treatment. If done at home, be careful that the wash water does not run down the street and into the storm sewer that empties into the local river or lake.

Can we still have turtle races? (note – turtles are not legal bait for fishing).
Yes but again one must be careful as any transporting of turtles must be free of any aquatic vegetation. Also, use potable or well water be used to keep the turtle moist and that after the race, the turtles are released immediately back into the waters in which they originated. It should be noted that the Federal Drug Administration recently reminded the public that contact with young (small) turtles can pose a serious health risk to infants, small children, and adults with impaired immune systems as they can be natural hosts to Salmonella, a group of bacteria that can cause severe illness and death.

What if I observe equipment (trailers, boats, jet skis, etc.) that has weeds hanging in recreational parking lots, hotel parking lots, etc.? Do I report them?
The best thing you can do is spread the word on the risk of ANS. If the boat owner/operator is present and willing, ask that he/she clean the boat and trailer.  If the owner/operator is unwilling to cooperate, then call to report the violation.

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