Zebra mussels found in Otter Tail County lake, MN DNR says

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have found zebra mussels in Tamarack Lake just north of Pelican Rapids.

According to a news release from the agency, DNR staff doing maintenance work near the Tamarack Lake access found six zebra mussels attached to a concrete plank.

The agency is also encouraging lake property owners and visitors of the lake to carefully look for invasive species on the posts, wheels and underwater support bars of docks and boat lifts, as well as any parts of boats, pontoons or rafts that may have been submerged in water for an extended period.

If anyone finds additional zebra mussels, the DNR would like them to contact an agency aquatic invasive species specialist through their website to make a report.

The DNR also states that state law requires boaters to clean watercraft, trailers and equipment to remove aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species.

They are also required to drain all water out of the boat and live-wells and leave the drain plugs out during transport.

Bait fish should be discarded in a trash receptacle and not ever released into a different body of water, the agency said.

Lastly, the agency said docks, lifts and rafts should be dried for 21 days before moving to a new body of water.