Watersmeet Lake Guards teach students how to protect their local fresh water
WATERSMEET -- The name of the township says it all: Watersmeet, a place where fresh water intersects. The Ontonagon River and Duck Creek cross and eventually flow into the Great Lakes. All of it is threatened by invasive species, and that's where the Watersmeet Lake Guards come in.
"What we primarily do is we monitor 18-20 lakes in township for a particular Eurasian water milfoil and curly leaf pondweed, but one of the highlights of our program is really our educational section," said Lake Guard, Barb Gajewski
The organization inspects boats and trailers for invasive species threatening local fresh water including Eurasian water milfoil, the spiny water flea, and curly leaf pondweed. The invaders are transferred from lake to lake by fishing boats, but biologists are teaching students how to curb the problem. They're conducting a program at Watersmeet High School, teaching boat inspection methods.
"A lot of our economy is driven by the quality of our pristine lakes, so by teaching our youth how to identify aquatic invasive species and the detriments it can have to the ecosystem, we're kind of building a new stewardship for lake protection in the future," Gajewski said.
"One of the things I enjoy doing the most is fishing and stuff, so keeping the lakes clean and everything is always good," said student, Odie Pierce.
Biologists say there are some specific places you should look at your boat when you get out of the water where invasive species like to hide--including your anchor and parts of your trailer, including this roller, the trailer bed and the tire and your motor on the back of the boat.
The interactive lake ecology program is about two weeks out of students' environmental science curriculum. The Lake Guards hope their lessons extend beyond the classroom.
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