1. Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) & Wild Rice/ Manoomin
Kevin Gauthier
WDNR Lakes Coordinator

2. Aquatic Invasive Species
Why do we care about AIS?
What do we do about impacts?
What are the available Management Techniques/Options?

3. Why Do We Care About AIS? Competition Interactions with Wild Rice
Life History
Lack of Competition, Predators, Diseases
Native Displacement
Interactions with Wild Rice

4. What Do We Do About Impacts?
Educate
Study/Monitor
Prevention/Containment
Manage
Photograph Credit: Paul Skawinski

5. Management Techniques Approved for use in Wisconsin:
Nothing Hand Pulling Weevils Drawdown Harvest Chemicals

6. Nothing Advantages: Inexpensive, No chemicals, Permit not required
Disadvantages: May allow small populations of AIS to become larger; this can displace native species and become more difficult to control

7. Hand Pulling
Advantages: Inexpensive, May lead to eradication, safe to native species
Disadvantages: Ineffective for large dense stands
Photograph Credit: Paul Skawinski
Photograph Credit: Paul Skawinski

8. Weevils
Advantages: Native weevils, Self-sustaining, Targets milfoils only
Disadvantages: Financial expense and weevil effectiveness will vary

9. Drawdown
Advantages: May have less impact to Wild Rice and other emergent species
Disadvantages: Timing can negatively impact reptiles, amphibians, or fish; Plants with large seed banks and deeper growing species may become more abundant upon refilling

10. Harvest
Advantages: Immediate removal of plants, Provides fishing and recreational lanes in dense stands
Disadvantages: Not selective, may remove small fish or reptiles, Creates fragments that may re-sprout

11. Chemical
Advantages: Some flexibility in certain situations, Can be selective if applied correctly, Has been used for restoration efforts
Disadvantages: Possibly toxic to aquatic animals or humans, May kill desirable native species, May cause oxygen depletion

12. Management Techniques and Required Permits
Management Techniques/Options
Permit Req’d
Nothing NO
Hand Pulling
Weevils
YES
Drawdown
Harvesting
Chemical Treatment

13. Chemical Permit Process
NR 107 application
“Any person sponsoring or conducting chemical treatment for the management of aquatic plants or control of other aquatic organisms in waters of the state shall obtain a permit from the department.” WI SS. NR107.02
“The department may require that an application for an aquatic plant management permit contain a plan for the department’s approval as to how the aquatic plants will be introduced, removed, or controlled.” State Statute 23.24(3)(b)
Chemical Treatment & Lake Management Plan
This permit application has 8 minimum required attributes (e.g., maps, surveys, descriptions, methods) and could require up to 14 different attributes

14. Department Approved Lake Management Plan Studies These Components:
Aquatic Plants
Wild Rice Emphasis
Water Quality
Watershed
Shoreland
Public Involvement/Education
Fisheries
AIS Management Strategies
Other

15. AIS Management Strategies
Pre and Post Surveys
Mapping
Chemical Concentration Monitoring
Set Management Goals
Image Credit: Onterra, LLC

16. When are Permits Submitted?
Upon approval of Lake Management Plan
Preferably submitted during the winter

17. Who is Submitting Permits?
Lake Groups
Townships
Counties
Other entities
The applicator themselves

18. What Chemicals are Used?
Variable
Whole Lake vs. Spot Treatment
Contact vs. Systemic
Liquid vs. Granular
Composition of Aquatic Plants
Presence of Wild Rice

19. Who Reviews Permit? Internal External Lake Managers Fisheries Managers
Toxicologists
Wildlife Managers
Wild Rice Biologists
Voigt Intertribal Task Force

20. When do Treatments Occur?
Depends on:
State of AIS population
Discovery of AIS population
Water Temperature
Treatment typically before May 31
Early discovery

21. What is the Current State of AIS & Wild Rice Knowledge?
Aquatic Plant Information
Wild Rice Mapping
AIS Mapping
Chemical Concentration Monitoring
Image Credit: Onterra, LLC

22. Wild Rice Occurring in the Same Range as AIS
Poses difficulties and requires decisions to be made
Need to protect Wild Rice resources
Need to combat Aquatic Invasive Species
Is there a “Common Ground” on which to take a stand?

23. Questions?