You show your love for the Lakes by roaming their parks, hiking their trails, swimming their waters and visiting their cities.
While you're out enjoying and loving the Great Lakes, always enjoy them responsibly by following these simple rules:
- Leave nothing in the Lake or on the beach. We all enjoy boating, fishing, and swimming in the Great Lakes-the most beautiful waters in the world. Be careful not to dump trash or food into the Lakes, this litter ends up on local beaches, endangering the health of tourists, residents and wildlife up and down our coasts. Food left on beaches attracts gulls and other birds in high quantities and bird waste leaves bacteria in the water that can make people sick.
- Keep boats, four-wheelers, and other gear clean. Help prevent the spread of invasive species by washing your boat, trailer, four-wheeler and even your feet thoroughly every time you move from one water body to another. Invasive species, from zebra mussels to Asian carp, spread through the seeds, roots, critters and plant matter that stick to our boats, tires, shoes and gear. When you fish, don't dump live bait in the waters because they could be exotic or invasive species.
For more information about invasive species, including the best procedures to use to stop spreading them around, visit Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers or A Field Guide to Aquatic Invaders. The Field Guide is produced by Minnesota Sea Grant and gives details and pictures about the most common aquatic invasive species of the Midwest
