4 BOAT CLEANING STATIONS!

By Connor Dennis, Land and Water Protection Specialist

If you have launched your boat this year at one of the landings around Walloon Lake, you may have noticed some odd-looking contraptions near the docks. These new machines are CD3 Boat Cleaning Stations. They are high-pressure, air-powered units that are fully solar-powered and designed to help eliminate the spread of aquatic invasive species coming into and going out of Walloon.

The name CD3 stands for “Clean, Drain, Dry, Dispose” which is the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service catchphrase for preventing the spread of aquatic invasives. Included in each unit is a vacuum for removing water from live wells and boat hulls, tongs for large plant removal, scrub brushes for stubborn stuck on residue, and a plug wrench for draining boats on site.

Installing boat cleaning stations at all six of the major launches around Walloon was an initiative that commenced in 2021 and is included in the WLAC 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. Over the last two years, the WLAC has seen an abundance of support for this project from the local community, foundations, sur- rounding townships, and road commissions. Due to this, we have been able to install four CD3 stations spanning the entire lake. They are located at the Jones Landing and Melrose Township Boat Launches, as well as the end of both Sumner and Townsend Roads. Four down, two to go!

Walloon Lake’s most treasured asset is its pristine water, and the addition of boat cleaning stations around its shores helps ensure that our water quality remains at the highest standard for generations to come. If you, your friends, or family use any of the launches around the lake, please encourage them to utilize the boat cleaning stations. The process only takes a few minutes, and it not only limits the spread of aquatic invasives but also allows you to follow the Michigan state law that requires all boats to be free of organisms, including plants.

We would like to take a moment to thank the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation and the Charlevoix County Community Foundation for their support of this initiative over the last two years. Without their generosity, this project would not have been possible. If you have any questions about the stations or aquatic invasive species, please contact me at connor@walloon.org.

Source: Invasive Species Centre