WALWORTH COUNTY: Walworth Co. AIS Control & Prevention Program

The Walworth County LURM will hire a staff member to work with citizens on numerous lakes in Walworth County, Kenosha County, Racine County and Southern Waukesha County. The purpose of the project is to increase citizen and agency knowledge on aquatic invasive species. The project will last three years. This project will: 1) Hold a minimum of 15 workshops and/or trainings (5 to 10 each year) to provide educational programming to lake groups, user groups and industry groups; 2) Coordinate and train local volunteers using clean boats/clean waters watercraft inspection program protocol; 3) Conduct a minimum of 600 hours of watercraft inspection (200 hours/year); 4) Participate in the State Bait Dealer Initiative, media outreach and landing blitz programs; 5) Provide outreach material and contacts to industry groups such as the bait and garden nursery industries (a minimum of 10 per year); 6) Contract for completion of two aquatic plant surveys and produce aquatic plant management plans for two lakes; 7) Monitor for yellow floating heart, Chinese lotus and water pennywort in the Delavan Lake area; 8) Map car wash facilities for distribution at boat launches in Racine and Kenosha counties; 9) Partner with three counties to provide educational programming and fulfill citizen informational requests; and 10) Respond to reports of new AIS occurrences and help coordinate a containment or eradication strategy where appropriate. A full description of the project scope and deliverables is in the grant application, which is part of this agreement. The DNR will be provided with two paper copies and an electronic copy of the final report. The DNR will also be provided with semi-annual electronic reports. Information will be disseminated to the public as described in the grant application.

Activities

• Project Deliverable
• Watercraft Inspections Clean Boats, Clean Waters
• Aquatic Plant Management Plan
• Hold Workshops
• Develop/Distribute Brochures/Literature
• Monitor Invasive Species
• Hire County Aquatic Invasives Coordinator
• Information and Education
• Train Volunteers
• Aquatic Plant Monitoring or Survey