Thanks to the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will purchase 20 additional decontamination units in 2012 that will be used to clean watercraft and marine equipment and help prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species.

Funding for the units, which cost approximately $15,000 each, was part of package of new laws and initiatives approved by the Legislature and Gov. Dayton in 2011. Forty-six new Level 2 aquatic invasive species watercraft inspectors will also be hired and trained to operate the units, which will be deployed after ice-out primarily at high-use, zebra mussel-infested lakes and rivers.

The units use 160-degree (F), high-pressure water to remove and kill any aquatic invasive species that might be attached to boats or marine equipment. The sprayed water is captured in a reclamation mat so it doesn’t wash into lakes and streams, and then filtered and reused.

“Our plan is for these units to be operating at highly used boat accesses 80 hours a week,” said Heidi Wolf, DNR watercraft inspection program supervisor. “That includes weekends and evenings.”

The DNR has identified specific locations where the units will operate and will be working with stakeholders to finalize the deployment plan. The DNR has a stakeholder group, including representatives of lake associations, resorts, anglers and local units of governments, which provides input to the agency on aquatic invasive species policies and programs.

“We will be talking to our stakeholders on Friday, Jan. 6 at the DNR’s annual roundtable in St. Paul to begin discussions on our deployment plan,” Wolf said.

The DNR purchased three decontamination units in 2011 and deployed them with newly trained inspectors in late summer to selected lakes with zebra mussels. Wolf said the agency learned some valuable best management practices last year that will be used this year.