Threats to The Iowa Great Lakes

Residents and visitors of the Iowa Great Lakes (Spirit Lake, West Okoboji, East Okoboji) who deeply care for the preservation of the water bodies can agree that the issues of water quality and invasive species are pressing matters that require an immediate and effective solution. Opinions diverge, however, when it comes to which solution is most appropriate and what the true scope and impact of the issue is. Dolly Butz, Alicia Vasto, and an article written for Targeted News Service all approach the problem with the idea that something should be done. The diversified propositions to the questions of how the issue should be undertaken and which methods are most realistic are what separate the articles from one another.

In her article for the Sioux City Journal, Dolly Butz discusses the plethora of invasive species that are currently present in the Iowa Great Lakes, and the ones that could begin to invade them in the future. These include European carp, curly-leaf pondweed, Asian carp, aquatic plants, quagga mussels, the potential for snakeheads, and one of the most pressing current threats to the lakes — zebra mussels. Zebra mussels attach themselves to docks, boats, rocks, and just about anything else that they can rapidly colonize upon. Their razor-like shells slice swimmer’s flesh, and they create competition for many native mussels and other aquatic plant and animal species. This threat is a serious one because without native species alive and well in the lakes, the ecosystem is threatened and thrown off balance. Butz asserts that pulling docks and hoists out of the water in the wintertime helps to combat the spread of the mussels, however, it can only do so much. She argues that once an invasive species arrives into an ecosystem, there is little you can do to stop it (with Asian carp being an exception — electric barriers have historically prevented Asian carp from further invading water bodies). In the case of zebra mussels, Butz recognizes that once they are present there is nothing that can be done to eradicate them entirely due to their rapid reproduction rates. This is important to note not because efforts to stop the colonization of the mussels are futile, but rather that a safe control of their spread is what should be strived towards. And these measures are indeed being taken — the state of Iowa has adopted new laws that require boaters to clean, drain, and dry their vessels when transporting them from one lake to another. Additionally, the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) conducts routine inspections and interviews with boating visitors. Butz outlines preventative measures that are being taken to stop further invasion of the mussels within the Iowa Great Lakes, however, she does note that nothing can be done to rid the lakes of them entirely.

Alicia Vasto focuses on a different but related issue that threatens the Iowa Great Lakes — that of overcrowding and an almost unmanageable influx of tourist activity. She notes that Spirit Lake, West Okoboji, and East Okoboji draw in around 15% of the entire state’s lake tourism activity — likely also contributing to the introduction of the invasive zebra mussels through the consistent boating visitors from across the state and nation. Many other lakes across the state contain higher levels of harmful bacteria and murky water quality when compared to the Iowa Great Lakes, which explains why so many tourists often prefer to vacation in the Spirit Lake/Okoboji area. Vasto argues that if other lakes across the state would implement better conservation practices, some pressure could be taken off of the Iowa Great Lakes and the threats posed to them could be diminished. Additionally, water quality would obviously increase across the state as a whole. Vasto urges counties across the state of Iowa to implement better pollution reduction practices for their lakes and to provide better funding for water quality monitoring and enforcement of these efforts by the DNR.

The article written for Targeted News Service provides similar sentiments to the Iowa Great Lakes, claiming them to be a leader for water quality and preservation of lakes in the state of Iowa and urging other communities to step up and make similar efforts. They also outline the grave threat that zebra mussels pose to the lakes — they compete with native aquatic species for space and food, and if dense enough, can even smother other mussel species. An important point brought up in this article is the notion of the threat to clean water sources — all of the surrounding communities get their drinking water from the Iowa Great Lakes, and the zebra mussels have the potential to cling to and clog drinking water utility pipes. The article also showcases the measures being taken to the prevent further spreading of the mussels. Similarly to what was stated in Butz’s article, in addition to it being illegal to transport zebra mussels and other invasive aquatic species from lake to lake, boaters are required to drain all water from their equipment before leaving a water body and must keep drain plugs removed or opened during the transport from one lake to another. Another effort taken by the DNR noted within the article is that permits to transport potentially infected vessels and equipment to approved storage facilities are issued to boaters. This is important because it provides an adequate cleaning and storage space that is separate from other vessels and equipment that could be entering and potentially infecting the lakes.

I agree with Butz and the article from Targeted News Service regarding the scope of the threat that zebra mussels present to the lakes of my hometown. I believe that there are some great preventative measures being taken to lower the population of invasive species within the lakes, however, I most agree with the argument that Vasto poses — in order to truly protect the Iowa Great Lakes, communities across the state of Iowa must do their part to clean their waters and be mindful of their invasive species populations and how these are potentially spreading to other areas. DNR officials within Northwest Iowa can only do so much to save Okoboji’s waters, let alone monitor the entire state. It is the responsibility of each community to do their part if Okoboji (and Iowa’s) waters are to be preserved for the recreational enjoyment and necessity that the lakes provide for ourselves and future generations to come.

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