Adirondack Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program: Annual Report 2020

Adirondack Watershed Institute

Daniel Kelting, Eric Paul, Brett Wimsatt, Sue O'Reilly, & Heather Coleates

The year 2020 marked the fourth year of Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) operating its landscape-scale network of 56 boat inspection and 29 decontamination stations across the Adirondack Park. The goal of this network is to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) to waterways across the region. To achieve this goal, a workforce of over 100 stewards and decontamination technicians are recruited, trained, and deployed each summer to interact with the boating public, conduct inspections of boats, trailers, and associated gear at boat launches, properly decontaminate watercraft, and inform the public about ways in which they can help prevent the spread of AIS including practicing “Clean, Drain, Dry” principles. Stewards also record data from boater interactions using the Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Application (WISPA), which is used to assess risk and inform state-wide AIS management. A key element of the Adirondack Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program is that it relies on voluntary compliance of the boating public to meet the Clean, Drain, Dry (CDD) standard required by New York State’s regulation to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. Stewards model appropriate AIS prevention steps and provide education, thus encouraging behavioral change and boater self-adoption of CDD.