ANS 10 Years Later

The vital message concerning the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species in North Dakota is nothing new. Those who have any interest in water-based activities in the state have heard it for more than 10 years now, and so far, it seems to be working.

States and provinces all around North Dakota have seen ANS infestations crop up with alarming regularity, but new infestations are rare here. Since ANS regulations were first enacted 10 years ago in 2008, the number of new discoveries of invasive species in state waters is few, but the challenge of keeping them out is greater than ever.

“This is more than just a Game and Fish issue,” said Greg Power, North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries chief. “Power companies, municipalities, agriculture – it’s a concern for anyone who uses water.”

Some of those problems can involve equipment used by power plants, municipal water systems, agricultural enterprises and other industries, leading to expensive repairs. Those costs, in turn, are passed along to consumers of power, water or other products – meaning ANS infestations could affect nearly every resident of North Dakota at one point or another.

For those reasons, the Game and Fish Department launched a large-scale ANS education campaign more than 10 years ago, and has continued to emphasize that message every year. The original slogan was “Inspect, Remove, Drain,” but simpler “Clean, Drain and Dry” guidelines were implemented in 2018.

“First, we help people understand what ANS are, what kinds of impacts ANS can have, and how people can stop the spread of ANS,” said Jessica Howell, Game and Fish Department ANS coordinator. “Second, we craft regulations that are easy to understand, but that people need to follow to prevent the spread of ANS.

“It should also be noted that we monitor North Dakota waters for the presence of ANS. We don’t just rely on public reports, though there is a public reporting form on our website now. Department staff check our waters during routine fisheries sampling, and we also have dedicated ANS sampling for high-risk waters. We have a statewide management plan that we follow for all ANS activities.”

Zebra mussels have become established in the Red River. Zebra mussels attach to rocks, dams, pilings and other structures, as well as to outboard motors, water pipes and other equipment.

It seems the people who use the state’s waters are taking those warnings to heart. Compliance with regulations is better than expected, though each year Department game wardens are writing more tickets for ANS violations. There were 12 citations in 2012 and 30 in 2013. By 2017, game wardens issued 130 citations for ANS violations. But Robert Timian, Department enforcement chief, said that doesn’t mean there are more people breaking the rules. He said game wardens have stepped up enforcement of ANS regulations each year.

“In the first year or so, we leaned more toward warnings than citations,” he said. “It was more of an education effort than an enforcement effort.”

Today, wardens are more likely to write tickets for violations than give warnings. The rules are now posted at every boat ramp in the state, in fishing and hunting regulations, and on posters at marinas.

“Recently, we’ve reached out to partners more to help get the message to other audiences,” Howell said. “We work with state and federal agencies to get requirements in (construction and development) permits and to talk to their stakeholders. Last year was the first year we engaged marinas and pet stores for their help spreading the message to boaters and pet owners. In 2016, we started advertising toward waterfowl hunters. All these efforts are meant to increase public awareness of actions to prevent the introduction and spread of ANS.”

The regulations apply to everyone who uses North Dakota waters. Anything that goes into the water must be cleaned of vegetation and drained when it comes out, according to the law. The “dry” portion is not required by law, but Howell said it’s an important step to prevent the spread of ANS.

“Essentially, anything you picked up at the lake should stay there – water, plants, animals and even mud,” she said. “Then make sure anything you might have missed has a chance to die before using equipment again. It’s just a few minutes of time to stop a huge problem.”

The message seems to be working. By the time the first regulations were put into place, ANS was present in North Dakota in the forms of Eurasian water milfoil, curly leaf pondweed and common carp. Ten years later, only a few new species have surfaced. Zebra mussels have established in the Red River (immature forms first found in 2010 and adult mussels found in 2015) and silver carp were discovered in the James River in 2011. Both of these new species came through natural movements from connected populations in neighboring states.

Zebra mussels were discovered both upstream and downstream of North Dakota in the Red River watershed before their discovery in North Dakota waters. That occurred in 2010, when biologists identified immature zebra mussels (called veligers) within North Dakota in the Red River. Aggressive inspections revealed more veligers in the Red periodically, but no adult zebra mussels were found until 2015. With the discovery of the adult mussels though, Game and Fish enacted a new regulation requiring boaters to drain livewells before leaving a waterway anywhere in the state, and anglers could no longer transport legal live aquatic bait in water from the Red River.

The “Drain” portion of Clean, Drain and Dry means drain all water out of your boat and other equipment. “Not only is this a regulation,” Howell said, “but water can hold microscopic organisms that may grow and damage your equipment over time. Leave drain plugs out and draining devices open during transport in North Dakota to avoid a citation.”

Once established, zebra mussels cannot be eliminated. They pose a threat not only to the fishery, as they consume plankton needed by native species; but they also cause damage to structures and equipment, such as municipal water supply pipes and boat engines.

“In states where there are infestations of zebra mussels, it affects more than just the fisheries,” Timian said. “While the fisheries are impacted, so are municipal water plants, power plants, agricultural facilities or other interests. Those cities and companies spend untold amounts of time and money keeping water intakes clear of zebra mussels.”

Silver carp pose other dangers. These fish can outcompete native fish for forage, which reduces the number of fish available for anglers. They also have a disturbing tendency to jump several feet out of the water when startled, potentially injuring boaters and other water users.

The good news is that biologists have to date not documented any silver carp reproduction in the James River. There is only one known age-class of silvers in the river, so without any new introductions, this ANS infestation may die out naturally. The silver carp made it to North Dakota waters during major floods in 2010 and 2011, when they were able to swim upstream over flooded lowhead dams.

“If another such major flood event should occur, the silver carp population could be augmented,” Howell said. “In addition, bighead and grass carp have the potential to move upstream from the lower portions of the James River during such flooding.”

Jessica Howell, Department aquatic nuisance species coordinator, tests water samples for ANS.

Though Mother Nature doesn’t pay much regard to Game and Fish rules, Timian said regulations are in place to prevent transfer of ANS by humans. One such regulation intended specifically to prevent the spread of silver carp is prohibiting bait fish trapping in the James River below Jamestown Dam.

Some ANS problems are not new to North Dakota. Common carp are found in many state waters, and they’ve been here for more than 100 years. Power said carp are the biggest problem species biologists face.

“They overproduce, and they muck up the bottom of the waterway,” he said. “They consume fish eggs, and they have a prolonged spawning period, where they disturb the bottom and prevent natural vegetation from taking root.”

He pointed out that Long Lake in Burleigh County would periodically be a great pike and perch fishery if carp weren’t present there. “Because of those carp, Long Lake isn’t realizing its potential as a pike and perch fishery,” he said.

Despite the best efforts of water users and agencies, some nuisance species have spread to other areas.

Eurasian water milfoil is now found in two waterways, and curly leaf poondweed is now known to exist in 10 separate waters. However, Power notes some success in the fight against ANS, as it relates to Eurasian water milfoil.

“We actually have one less water body with Eurasian water milfoil than we had before,” he said. “We had it in Dead Colt Creek (Ransom County), but through agreements with the local water board, we drew the reservoir down 20 feet and allowed it to freeze out. The Eurasian water milfoil appears to be gone from Dead Colt Creek now.”

Because of that success, Game and Fish tried something similar to get rid of curly leaf pondweed at Raleigh Reservoir in Grant County, but it didn’t work there, Power said.

The reason ANS efforts focus on keeping the problems out is that the Raleigh Reservoir example tends to be the norm in the ANS battles.

“Once ANS establish (have a self-sustaining, reproducing population), they are often nearly impossible to eradicate,” Howell said. “It really depends on the species – as an example, some aquatic plants are pretty treatable. For any species that have a chance of being eradicated from an isolated water body, it can often take years of treatments to get rid of them, or involve extreme measures such as dewatering. Rivers present their own set of problems, and often we cannot eradicate from rivers given the complex nature of these systems and the fact that there may be an upstream population that will just re-establish the population downstream.”

There’s a cost to treatment as well, and it’s not always financial, she said. “Social pressures or other factors can affect which treatments may be acceptable,” Howell said. “In addition, treatments or eradication attempts can be extremely expensive, time-consuming, or kill nontarget species. It’s a lot easier to prevent ANS introductions than it is to try to eradicate an established population. We do conduct ‘early detection’ sampling to try to detect ANS introductions before they establish, which can sometimes increase treatment options, but many factors affect the ability to actually conduct a treatment.”

Having two new nuisance species and a handful of new areas where known ANS is found is far from perfect, but it’s better than the estimates projected back in 2008. Rusty crayfish, exotic water fleas, invasive carp, VHS virus, New Zealand mudsnail and several other species are knocking at the door; they are known to exist in waters in the states and provinces all around us. But for now, those who use North Dakota’s waters are doing a good job of keeping these invaders at bay.

“For the most part, the message is well received,” Howell said. “When people understand the potential impacts of ANS and how it may directly affect them, they suddenly feel a responsibility to keep it from happening. The best part is: Clean, Drain and Dry is simple. It only takes a few minutes but can have a major impact on reducing the likelihood of spreading ANS.”

ANS Timeline

• 2005
  • Lawmakers enact ANS program.
  • ANS management plan adopted.
• 2008
  • First ANS administrative rules effective.
  • ANS information provided on Game and Fish website.
  • Signage posted at all water access sites.
  • Nonresident bait sources required to pass inspection.
  • ANS inspection forms for fishing tournaments.
  • ANS present in state – Eurasian water milfoil, curly leaf pondweed and common carp.
• 2009
  • Bait check stations established.
  • First ANS citation written by enforcement.
• 2010
  • Expanded information efforts.
  • Adopted additional ANS administrative rules.
  • Adopted Inspect, Remove, Drain campaign for ANS awareness.
  • Zebra mussel veligers found in Red River.
• 2011
  • Boat inspections mandatory for out-of-state sponsored fishing tournaments.
  • Increased inspections for barges and aquatic equipment entering state.
  • Silver carp found in James River.
• 2012
  • Revamped ANS posters/brochures.
  • Number of waters monitored in North Dakota increased.
  • Some ANS infestations reduced or possibly eliminated.
  • Curly leaf pondweed discovered in Lake Elsie (10 waters total where curly leaf pondweed is found).
  • Eurasian water milfoil still contained to two waters.
  • Rules established to prohibit transport of live bait out of Red River counties.
• 2013
  • Curly leaf pondweed found in Grass Lake; otherwise ANS incidences holding steady.
• 2014
  • Zebra mussels found both upstream and downstream of North Dakota in the Red River.
  • Intensified search for rusty crayfish.
  • Curly leaf pondweed found in Raleigh Reservoir.
• 2015
  • New signage to further clarify ANS efforts.
  • No sign of silver carp reproduction, though the exotics still exist in James River.
  • Three adult zebra mussels found on Sorlie Bridge in Grand Forks. Many adult zebra mussels found in northern Red River.
  • New regulations require all water to be drained from boats (including livewells) statewide, and no live bait permitted to be transferred out of Red River area.
• 2016
  • Game and Fish hires first full-time ANS coordinator.
  • Game and Fish hires ANS seasonal employees to conduct voluntary boater surveys and watercraft inspections.
• 2017
  • Heightened search for zebra mussels and veligers in Missouri River due to veliger detection in upper Missouri River basin in Montana. None found.
• 2018
  • Updating outreach efforts to Clean, Drain and Dry message.
  • Updating statewide ANS management plan.