The latest news updates from protectyourwaters.net http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news Between out-of-control fires and destructive invasive species, Australia is facing major environmental problems. Now, an Australian scientist says he has a radical solution to these issues: Import large animals, such as elephants, to consume flammable grasses and combat the feral animals that are re... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15237 What's Hot Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Groups representing states and cities in the Great Lakes region on Tuesday proposed spending up to $9.5 billion on a massive engineering project to separate the lakes from the Mississippi River watershed in the Chicago area, describing it as the only sure way to protect both aquatic systems from inv... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15238 What's Hot Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Boaters launching vessels into Massachusetts lakes this summer could face new fines under a stricter regulations the Department of Conservation and Recreation has designed to prevent local waters from being contaminated by “aquatic nuisances.’’ In the past few years, some lakes in the state have ... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15239 General News Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 "All right guys, going into take-off mode. You are hot!" Everyone aboard the airboat grows quiet. It's the moment they've been anticipating after hours of preparation that started shortly after dawn on this late November day. Biologist Jon Morton has been leading the team through pre-operatio... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15240 General News Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 A new study in the fight to keep invasive Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes suggests erecting a physical barrier between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River basin, where evidence of the harmful species has been identified. On Tuesday, results of the study titled “Restoring the Natural ... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15241 Species Specific News Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 American cane toads (Rhinella marina), native to Central and South America, are an invasive species in Australia. These toads contain a substance called “bufotoxin” that makes a lot of predators ill, sometimes fatally. (Warning: This is very poisonous stuff. Do not even lick a cane toad!) Austral... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15242 General News Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Biologists have found the DNA of invasive zebra mussels in six additional Texas lakes. That doesn’t mean the mussels are there, but KERA’s Shelley Kofler reports the discovery has heightened concerns. Read the following two articles to get the details. <a href="http://keranews.org/post/zebra-mu... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15243 Species Specific News Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Missouri conservation officials say a new ban on some waders worn by freshwater anglers takes effect next month. The state Department of Conservation says the ban on non-porous waders is an effort to control a type of invasive algae. The ban takes effect March 1 when the state's catch-and-keep t... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15244 What's Hot Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Folks who own property along the banks of Lake Bistineau can attend a pesticide training session from 8 a.m. - noon on February 18 at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' office at 9961 Hwy. 80 in Minden. “The giant salvinia has become such a problem in the lake,” said Department ... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15245 Species Specific News Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Community councillors in Fort William are calling for a rapid reaction force to swing into halting an unwelcome alien invasion in its tracks. They want Highland Council and other relevant agencies to lead from the front in the battle against the rapid progression of Japanese Knotweed in a number ... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15246 Species Specific News Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 It’s up to boaters and anglers to keep nuisance species from invading NH’s waters! Several species of non-native aquatic plants invade waterbodies, forming thick underwater stands of tangled stems and vast mats of vegetation at the water’s surface. They can crowd out important native water plants... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15247 Campaign Updates Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Some of the smallest thinking that occurred in Minnesota on Thursday took place in a tucked-away hearing room at the Capitol. The subject was aquatic invasive species, particularly Asian carp. The event was a meeting of the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, which, with a figurative gun to it... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15223 General News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL -- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has proposed several new regulations that would enlist the help of anglers and boaters to fight the spread of exotic species into Texas waterways. That's a smart, pro-active approach - and it avoids the mistakes made in Florid... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15224 Species Specific News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Can you visualize a warm day near our beautiful Flathead waters? Even though there’s snow on the ground, it’s time to be bold about preserving and protecting our beautiful lake and the enormous economic benefits it provides. Last week I audited an Aquatic Invasive Species Summit presented by Fish... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15225 General News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Groups representing states and cities in the Great Lakes region on Tuesday proposed spending up to $9.5 billion on a massive engineering project to separate the lakes from the Mississippi River watershed in the Chicago area, describing it as the only sure way to protect both aquatic systems from inv... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15226 What's Hot Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) is a deadly fish virus and invasive species that is threatening the current and future health of fish in Wisconsin. VHS has been found in European freshwater trout since the 1930s and was first discovered in Great Lakes freshwater fish in 2005. It has caused mas... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15227 Species Specific News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Boaters will need to open their wallets a little bit wider before launching at Lake Tahoe this summer. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's Governing Board approved fee increases for mandatory aquatic invasive species inspections Wednesday. The average boater will pay an additional $10 or $11... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15228 General News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Almost 6.3 tonnes of Asian carp, an invasive species no one wants in the Great Lakes, has been seized at the Windsor-Detroit border in the last three weeks. That's alarming, University of Windsor professor and aquatic invasive species expert Hugh MacIsaac said Friday. "The Americans have put... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15229 What's Hot Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Two members of the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly are preparing a solution to the lionfish problem in local waters. The representatives of North Side and East End, Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean, respectively, plan to take a Private Member’s Motion to the LA calling for payment of a bounty o... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15230 Species Specific News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 A privately funded study to be released today outlines three ways the Chicago waterways could be closed off from the Great Lakes to keep invasive species, such as Asian carp, from moving between them. The cheapest solution would cost taxpayers more than $3 billion and would take at least a decade... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15231 What's Hot Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 To save the environment, would you eat a piece of it? The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is trying to create consumer demand for Asian carp in an effort to rid the state’s waterways of them. Teaming up with Feeding Illinois (formerly the Illinois Food Bank Association) and a Louisian... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15232 Species Specific News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Recent test on 14 North Texas reservoirs shows Zebra Mussels appear to be contained to one lake, but state authorities still want boaters to take precautions to prevent their spread. “Right now the only strong, viable population of Zebra Mussels that we have in the state is in Lake Texoma,” expla... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15233 Species Specific News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Groups representing states and cities in the Great Lakes region on Tuesday proposed spending up to $9.5 billion on a massive engineering project to separate the lakes from the Mississippi River watershed in the Chicago area, describing it as the only sure way to protect both aquatic systems from inv... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15234 What's Hot Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 It was a pleasure to kayak around Lees Pond last summer and see almost no milfoil on the southern end of the pond. After 20 years of research, discussions of various treatments, contributions, marking milfoil, picking up floaters,and meetings, real progress has been made. We have to thank the late J... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15235 Species Specific News Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Whenever you fish, you have the potential to introduce or transport unwanted species into or from the area you are fishing. The equipment, clothing and boat used to fish have many places that a hitchhiker can hide. Unlike other recreational pursuits, fishing is a very diverse sport with a wide ran... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15236 Campaign Updates Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Fantastic waters like the Deschutes, the Yellowstone and the Madison Rivers and the Great Lakes are just of a few of the aquatic systems that are experiencing negative impacts from invasive species like New Zealand mudsnails, whirling disease and zebra mussels. However, thanks to the U.S. Fish and W... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15214 Campaign Updates Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 A little snail from Asia may be poised to create some very big problems for fish in Central Texas rivers. The aquatic snail, with a distinctive, conical spiral shell, is highly competitive and tends to displace native snail species, said David Huffman, a parasitologist in the Department of Biolog... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15215 Species Specific News Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Invasive species of fish, mussels and plants have been reshaping the ecosystem of the Great Lakes since the birth of shipping in the region more than two centuries ago, impacting the region’s economic and social life in the process. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an invasi... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15216 General News Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced it was banning the importation and sale across state lines of four large, non-native snakes: the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus), the yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), and two subspecies of the African python (Python sebae).... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15217 What's Hot Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 The Caddo Lake Institute has been awarded $100,000 to fight giant salvinia, an invasive weed that has been wreaking havoc on the lake, U.S. Sen. Mary L. Landrieu announced today. The funding is through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Pulling Together Initiative, which provides support... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15218 Species Specific News Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Alien plants and animals are already invading Canada through doors opened by climate change, and research and policy on the issue lag far behind. That's the conclusion of research that found no jurisdiction is looking at the interaction between global warming and what the study calls invasive al... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15219 General News Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Quagga and zebra mussels have devastated fishing waters, plugged water delivery systems and ruined boats all across the nation. But those things haven’t happened in Utah. How come? Read the full story to get the details. <a href="http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2012/01/25/mussels-in-ut... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15220 Species Specific News Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Three Rivers Park District and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have finalized a joint powers agreement to move forward on the refurbishment of the Coon Rapids Dam. The upgrades will enable the dam to serve as a barrier against invasive aquatic species, in particular stopping Asian c... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15221 Species Specific News Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 An awareness campaign to combat the threat of didymo or ‘rock snot’ in Gisborne waterways is underway over summer. Didymo awareness advocate Toni Stirton will be visiting local freshwater spots. She will be talking to people about the importance of checking equipment, cleaning it and drying it pr... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15222 Species Specific News Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Florida officials say they're considering a controversial cure for a polluted lake by encouraging an aquatic weed considered a nuisance by some to grow there. Costly environmental rehabilitation efforts in polluted Lake Apopka have had little effect, leading the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserv... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15203 Species Specific News Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 A menacing species of foreign fish could make itself right at home in Lake Erie, according to a new report. The study from the U.S. Geological Survey found that the Maumee, Sandusky, and Grand Rivers are hospitable environments for Asian carp, potentially allowing the invasive fish to establish a se... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15204 What's Hot Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Biologists are in the front line when it comes to protecting our marine ecosystems from natural and human-driven threats. This September 2011, 11 Bahamian biologists from six local organisations working on the National Lionfish Control Pilot Project made history by becoming the first Bahamians to... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15205 General News Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 They are one of the most invasive species ever to hit the country, and they could soon be headed to Central Texas. Zebra mussels are on the move, and the government wants everyone to know. “They attach to boats, to pylons, to piers, to intake structures,” said David Cowan of the Lower Colorado... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15206 Species Specific News Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ouachita Parish has the highest number of invasive plant species in Louisiana, playing home to 359 of the 377 identified by the state. December data on the website of University of Georgia's Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health show three of the 10 parishes where invasive species are... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15207 Species Specific News Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 An Australian company that harvests and processes carp for Asian and European food markets will open its first U.S. facility in Wabasha Friday. Keith Bell and his wife, Cate, have set their eyes on Minnesota's common carp — one of the most damaging aquatic invasive species in the state, but a fo... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15208 Species Specific News Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 The little-known quagga mussel is taking over vast stretches of the Great Lakes, dramatically reducing populations of game and commercial fish and presenting a much more immediate danger to lake ecology than its more famous cousin — the zebra mussel — ever did. In fact, the quagga mussel is outco... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15209 What's Hot Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Something slimy and gross has overtaken Cowichan Lake — and it’s not the creature from the Black Lagoon. Didymo, also known as ‘rock snot,’ is an invasive algae species that has invaded the Cowichan River. Often mistaken for soggy toilet paper or slime, didymo comes in a variety of unsightly f... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15210 Species Specific News Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Q: When I was fishing on South Fork of the Boise River last month, I’m almost positive I saw some “didymo” on rocks along the bank. It was like I thought I saw on the South Island of New Zealand. CONCERNED ANGLER, email A: Didymo, aka “rock snot,” has been identified along the South Fork of... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15211 What's Hot Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 A newly published study says alien plants and animals are already invading Canada through doors opened by climate change, and research and policy lag far behind. Neither Ottawa nor any of the provinces are looking at the interaction between global warming and invasive species with a view to preve... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15212 General News Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Americans hunted many valuable and delicious animals like the beaver, turkey and bison until they were wiped out in many areas. Yet, fur-bearing and edible invasive species now run rampant damaging native North American ecosystems. Why haven't American hunters wiped out the nutria, Burmese pytho... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15213 General News Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Minnesota conservation officials will take new steps in 2012 to stop the spread of invasive species like the zebra mussel. Department of Natural Resources officials say they will conduct random road checks for the first time to stop species from hitchhiking on trailers, boats and other vehicles. ... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15199 Campaign Updates Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 It's a far cry from Cajun country, but a U.S. crayfish used in Southern cooking is now eating its way across Africa, scientists say. Without any native predators to keep it in check, the Louisiana crayfish, also known as the red swamp crayfish, is gobbling up small freshwater fish, fish eggs, mo... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15200 Species Specific News Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Making predictions to start a new year can be a dicey proposition — especially in a big election year such as 2012 when little will likely get done while politicians posture and preen. When it comes to outdoors issues in Utah, the easiest forecast is to expect a lot of anti-federal government rhe... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15201 General News Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Sharpshooters and euthanasia are among the options the National Park Service is considering to control the deer population in Rock Creek Park. Over the past decade, that population has grown in size at an unmanageable rate, creating a problem for more than just drivers. Read the full story to get... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=15202 What's Hot Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 "Problems that look muddily abstract on a big scale take on color and texture when you talk about waters close to home." This quote has never been truer than it is today, particularly when it comes to the issue of aquatic invasive species and the impacts they are creating on our natural aquatic sy... http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/display.php?id=7068 Campaign Updates Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500