Bottom Time E-Mail News Archives 
August 18, 2011

Lakes are clearing up especially Pickerel lake.  Surface water temps are still in the high seventies.  There are still a couple of students that need to get their checkout dives completed and we need to have them completed by next week. 

Tri-State Diving's salvage staff attended a Lakes Service Professional seminar.  This seminar was in regards to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and is required training for anyone being paid for services on Minnesota waters.  The state law reads all businesses or individuals hired to install or remove water-related equipment from lakes to obtain a permit from the DNR before providing any services.  Also included are individuals doing lake shore restoration and fishing guides.

The DNR staff emphasized that they do not want people to avoid using lakes that have AIS but to take the proper precautions when leaving that body of water.  The laws have also changed for any individual using Minnesota waters.  All waters must be removed from boats including leaving the drain plug out of the boat once moving from the lake and not putting it back in until it is to be placed in water again.

Here is an email from Jim Grier in regards to Zebra Mussels.

Hi all,

Now that zebra mussels are showing up in inland Minnesota lakes, such as Pelican Lake, it has become a concern for ALL DIVERS , whether new or long-time, experienced divers. This is a serious situation that must be dealt with immediately to keep from spreading the mussels further, or at least slowing down the spread.

Divers need to become educated and very alert so we don't inadvertently transfer zebra mussels through diving activity. The sooner we start spreading the message the better. ( "Spread the message, not the mussels!!!" ) It should be included in OW lessons. It would be worth putting up posters in dive shops. (We used to have posters that I developed and which, for a few years, we had posted at dive entry sites along Lake Superior , but then they disappeared and weren't re-posted.)  *

One of my grad students was studying and working with zebra mussels back in the mid-90s, and we had to deal with the issue of potential diver transfer of mussels then. The microscopic veliger larvae can be easily spread on neoprene and in any water, particularly including water in a BC. Normal drying of scuba gear will not necessarily take care of the problem.

There are two things that divers must consider and do accordingly:

1. If diving in a sequence of locations where it is known that zebra mussels are in some and not others, always dive the "clean" sites first and then the contaminated sites last, NEVER the other way around. For example, when I wanted to dive both the iron pits and Lake Superior on a dive outing, I always dove the pits first and Lake Superior last. Same for diving in the Mississippi River (with zebra mussels) versus inland lakes (without z.m.s).

2. After diving in an area known or suspected to have zebra mussels, SOAK ALL GEAR (regulators, BC, boots and suits, fins, weights, ...) FOR A HALF HOUR OR MORE IN WARM WATER ABOVE 110 DEG F, INCLUDING FLUSHING OUT THE BC WITH WARM WATER. Normal hot bath water (that you can comfortably take a bath in, not necessarily the hottest that it comes out of the faucet) for most folks is probably around 120 deg and is perfect. If in doubt, get a thermometer and actually check it. The combination of heat and lowered oxygen (warm water does not carry as much oxygen) for over a half hour will kill the zebra mussel veligers. I use either a bath tub or a large plastic tub for the warm water soak of my gear. When we first considered using warm water decontamination, I contacted several scuba gear manufacturers, including for dive computers, and they all assured me that temps in the 110 to 120 range were safe for gear. (One of the computer manufacturers told me that I would melt the plastic case before damaging the electronics!) Most scuba gear is probably safe up to around 140 deg F, but I wouldn't go over 140 max. You don't need to add any soap, chemicals or such (although I also usually add a few ounces of antibacterial hand soap to the water to help clean the gear and keep it smelling good). The warm water alone, over 110 F, for over a half hour will kill and take care of any zebra mussel problem per se. Note: the gear needs to be completely submerged in the warm water ... floating on top doesn't work, so you might need to weight it down.

Cheers,

Jim Grier

Biological Sciences

North Dakota State University

Fargo , ND

PS I normally don't say this, but in the present situation, I recommend passing this on to every diver you know! Please DO pass this on.

*Tri-State Diving has posters plus example of clam with Zebra mussels on it furnished by the Minnesota DNR and COLA

On a lighter note spearing has picked up.  Tuesday we speared two suckers and Wednesday I speared 5 suckers and missed about 25.  Getting used to the new gun.  We will be going out most days next week so if interested give me call to see when we are going.  If you have yet to complete a spearfishing class let me know and we can take care of that before we go and then all that is needed is a Minnesota fishing lic.  Here is a picture of Wednesdays catch.

There has been more gear brought in on consignment so stop out and see what might work for you.

Starting need week we will be closing at 2:00PM during the week but still open till 4:00PM on the remaining weekends till the end of the month.

Sea You on the Bottom

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