WASHINGTON COUNTY: AIS Education, Prevention & Planning Project

The Washington County Planning and Parks Department will hire a three quarters time staff member to work with citizens on lakes located in Washington County, WI. 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 regarding aquatic plant management plans and exotic species; 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) Install a minimum of 9 boat contamination facilities (3 per year) at heavily used boat launches; 5) Provide outreach material and contacts to industry groups such as the bait and garden nursery industries (a minimum of 10 per year);

6) Monitor 60 traps (May through September) in Esquire Estates Pond in Germantown in 2014 to document the results of the eradication effort in 2011-2013; 7) Serve as a coordinator for purple loosestrife biocontrol (beetles) and recruit volunteers ; 8) Implement the newly adopted countywide AIS strategic plan; 9) Answer citizen inquiries regarding invasive species; 10) Respond to reports of new AIS occurrences and partner with the DNR to develop a containment or eradication strategy where appropriate; and 11) Continue eradication efforts for curly leaf pondweed in Druid Lake, in partnership with the local District. 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

• Develop/Distribute Brochures/Literature
• Train Volunteers
• Hire County Aquatic Invasives Coordinator
• Project Deliverable
• Biomonitoring Toxicity Tests
• Watercraft Inspections Clean Boats, Clean Waters
• Information and Education
• Install Kiosk or Sign
• Hold Workshops
• Aquatic Plant Monitoring or Survey