ANS Detection

[wheels70]

Craig,
With the discovery of zebra mussels in Melvern and other bodies of water it got me to wondering. Does the KDWP actively monitor each body of water for ANS per given time period or is the water only tested if there is a report of ANS in a particular body of water? I know with zebra mussels you can detect them microscopically but with other ANS such as Asian Carp and Eurasian Watermilfoil I wonder if they can be detected at the microscopic level.

The reason I ask is I wonder how long these ANS are in the waters before the public knows to take precautions against the spread. Obviously in a perfect world everyone would clean, drain and dry before ever entering another body of water but I don't see that happening in today's society.

Keith

[Craig Johnson]

Craig,
With the discovery of zebra mussels in Melvern and other bodies of water it got me to wondering. Does the KDWP actively monitor each body of water for ANS per given time period or is the water only tested if there is a report of ANS in a particular body of water? I know with zebra mussels you can detect them microscopically but with other ANS such as Asian Carp and Eurasian Watermilfoil I wonder if they can be detected at the microscopic level.

The reason I ask is I wonder how long these ANS are in the waters before the public knows to take precautions against the spread. Obviously in a perfect world everyone would clean, drain and dry before ever entering another body of water but I don't see that happening in today's society.

Keith

Keith,

Fish bios are constantly looking for any signs of ANS in all the waters that they manage. Plankton samples are taken from many waters across the State and the contents are examined for the presence of zebra mussel veligers. Zebra mussel populations in currently infested lakes are monitored as well. Veligers are the only ANS species that are currently monitored at 'the microscopic level'. The bad thing is that once the veligers are discovered we know that adults are present to produce the veligers...kinda like the chicken and the egg thing. With Asian carp and Eurasian watermilfoil most infestations are discovered when adults, young, or established plants are observed. Early detection is critical in helping prevent the spread and fish bios are always on the lookout. For ANS species, early detection assists in control and possible eradication.

Blue-green algae concentrations are evaluated using cell per volume counts so you could say this is evaluated microscopically but blue-green algae aren't classified as ANS.

I've heard many anglers say "well...zebra mussels are in many major lakes, why do I need to bother to clean, drain, and dry?". The answer to that is zebra mussels were only the tip of the ANS iceberg. By following precautions required for zebra mussel control, lake users are preventing the spread of numerous other ANS like white perch, largemouth bass virus, Eurasian watermilfoil, and Asian carp. Clean boats and equipment will keep these nasties out of our fishing lakes.

Great question!