Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
Visitors are welcome to enjoy Bear Lake, but invasive species "hitchhikers" are not. The Bear Lake Association is proud to participate in the Clean Boats, Clean Waters Program to stop the spread of invasive species. Invasive species like Eurasian Watermilfoil, Zebra Mussels, and Curly Leaf Pondweed can easily hop from one waterbody to another by hitching rides on boat hulls, ballasts, trailers, motors, live wells, or other equipment used by anglers and boaters.Once introduced into a new waterbody, invasive species can disrupt native ecology and have a negative impact on the habitat and populations of native, beneficial species. Often, these invasive species have no natural predators to keep them in check and are able to establish and grow their populations much more quickly than native species.
Clean Boats, Clean Waters Program volunteers take shifts working at public boat accesses around Bear Lake, educating boaters about invasive species and the importance of making sure boats and other equipment are inspected, cleaned, drained, and dried before moving from one waterbody to another. Most visitors to Bear Lake are very appreciative of our efforts to preserve the ecological integrity of Bear Lake, and even more appreciate that the information our volunteers provide can help them comply with state law and avoid costly tickets and fines.
Inspection Locations
Bear Lake volunteers monitor the Public Boat Landing on 28 3/4 Ave (about 1.5 mi NW of Haugen) (Blue) and the Washburn County Boat Landing (Green).
Here is a series of training videos from WI DNR about being a Clean Boats, Clean Waters volunteer: