IRON COUNTY, Wis. (WXPR) — Iron county will get $3,000 to help keep invasive species out of their mostly pristine waters.
The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin announced three grants for the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area. The largest grant was to Iron County Land and Water Conservation to expand invasive species monitoring and education.
County conservationist Heather Palmquist says the grant money will help them broaden their efforts. “Expand the invasive species program to other areas within the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage watershed but get some additional surveys done on area lakes, in the Springstead area and also in the Mercer area.” She says, “By expanding the efforts and getting more people on the ground doing education and doing survey work, we can get a handle on if in fact we are only at 3% with invasive species, and then also just get more awareness out.”
Palmquist says 97 percent of the waters in Iron county area invasive-free. She says the money will be used to show boaters how to prevent transfer of aquatic invasives. She says many of the lakes haven’t had as much focus on prevention and the new money will help them get the word out.
Other money will help restore campsite and do plant research.
by Ken Krall, WXPR