WATERCRAFT DISINFECTION STATION
INSTRUCTIONS
News Alert: The VHS Virus has spread into Lake Superior! That means ALL
of the Great Lakes are infected. Lake Managers – if you want to save your inland
lake, follow these instructions. The virus is deadly to fish (not humans) and it
can be spread when boats (or bait) are moved from VHS infected water bodies into
non-infected water bodies.
All of our inland lakes are now at risk. A program is underway by Superior
Watershed Partnerships to provide disinfection stations at every boat launch
along Lake Superior so boaters can disinfect when they leave. Lake
managers should get disinfection stations up NOW to have boats disinfected
before entering their lake! These instructions, courtesy of MLSA will
help you get started.
These instructions were originally designed for Michigan’s inland lakes but can
be modified to cover any lake in any state (or province).
The local government that oversees the lake would have to pay for the station
and disinfectant – an average total cost per year of $1,000. A small price to
pay for the local economy and for piece of mind. To ensure compliance, it is
recommended that a Lake or Boaters Association volunteer to run the station. The
volunteers could demonstrate correct boat disinfection procedures, rules on live
bait and education on VHS virus and Virkon Aquatic®. Once the virus gets into a
lake, there is no way to remove it!
Before starting, you should become familiar with the VHS
fish virus and Virkon®
Aquatic disinfectant.
Michigan Lakes and Streams Association (MLSA) is spearheading
this campaign along with the Superior Watershed Partnership at Marquette. The MI
DNR supports these efforts. See MI DNR
letter and
press release.
Here are the names of four volunteers who stand ready
to answer your questions:
Jennifer Jermalowicz-Jones - 616-844-5050 -x12 / eMail:
JenniferJ@lakeshoreenvironmental.com
Arny Domanus - 906-358-9912 / eMail:
ARNYD@portup.com
Scott Brown - 517-914-1684 / eMail:
sbrown@mlswa.org
Geri Larson 906-228-6095 x13 / eMail:
geri@superiorwatersheds.org
The following 3 easy steps will help you to set up a
disinfection station, and help stop the spread of the VHS virus and other
pathogens.
| STEP ONE: |
Authorization needed to set up station. |
| STEP TWO: |
Build a Disinfection Station |
| STEP THREE: |
Order your supply of Virkon® Aquatic |
STEP ONE: AUTHORIZATION
-
If your boat launch is owned and operated by the
State of Michigan, you need to get approval for a use permit from the DNR. Other
states or provinces, check with your DNR (Canada-MNR).
Applications for a permit can be found online at
www.michigan.gov/dnrlanduse
click
here (Word or
PDF) for the PR 1138-1 (non event application/permit to use state land).
-
An
example from Eagle Harbor, Mi is attached (click
here) - please use the same wording. Sign
and mail or fax to your local DNR administrator. If you are unaware of
which DNR office administers your access site, you may search by following
this link for the
Map of Contact Information
. Your use permit will be mailed to you with a list
of conditions and requirements to follow. If you have any questions
regarding the permit process, please contact Jason Fleming at
fleminja@michigan.gov or 517-241-2054. The fee for the permit will be
waived. This process may take some time to ensure all appropriate steps are
in place for validating a permit. There may be circumstances which may not
allow for a disinfection station, so do not consider the application as
approved until the permit is finalized.
-
If your boat launch is County, Township, City or
Association owned and operated, that governing body needs to pass a resolution that
allows Virkon® Aquatic to be placed at the disinfection station. The
governing body should agree to be responsible for the station and its contents and
provide funding for Virkon® Aquatic powder if there is a shortfall
of donations.
-
If your boat launch is private, you can set up a
station immediately.
STEP TWO: BUILD A DISINFECTION STATION
-
The “SIGN” (see
example - Word or
PDF) has been edited and approved by the MI DNR and Dupont. Also, where the sign says "Call: " - be sure to write the phone
number of the responsible party in permanent marker. In the space for a
fisheries division phone #, enter the phone number in permanent marker. Make
the sign at least 18” x 24” of sturdy plastic or metal. Our sign maker will make
one for you for $65 plus postage.
Contact Mark McEvers at Eagle River Studio
(906-337-0350 -
mark@eagleriverstudio.com) to order a sign or you may choose to have it made locally. It
must read exactly as written unless modified or approved by the MI DNR.
-
Post and sprayer: Plant an 8 ft 4” x 4”
into a hole so the finished post is 6 ft tall ($8). Buy a 1 or 2 gal garden
sprayer ($18-30). Spray paint it with some design so it won’t get stolen! A
closet pole rod hanger to hold the sprayer ($3). Cut a pyramid top on the
post and stain it to prevent ice/rain damage.
-
30 gal tank and stand: Purchase a 30 gal tank with
lid and stand from U.S. Plastic - 1-800-335-6809. $263. Place the 30 gal tank and stand
against the post and strap it securely to the post (suggest two 36" plastic
zip straps ~$2). Bolt the sign onto the 4" by 4" above the 30 gal tank.
-
Paint the tank with the words:
1% Virkon® Aquatic.
2" tall letters are available from our sign maker Mark McEvers for $5
if you order the sign from him.
-
Arrange for trained volunteers to mix the powder and
check on the level in the tank. Virkon® Aquatic solution will
lose its potency after 7-10 days so the volunteer should try not to mix too
much solution at any one time. Do NOT allow the general public to mix the powder themselves.
Test strips are available for the volunteers to periodically check the 1%
strength. Suggest keeping a log of new solution added and usage to help
predict the need for more Virkon® Aquatic powder.
STEP THREE: ORDER Virkon® AQUATIC
-
Estimate the number of boats launching into your lake
during the entire fishing season ie:
Let us assume 10 per day on average.
Bad weather days: about 5/month.
Season: May – Sep? 25 days/month x 5 months = 125 days at 10
per day (on average) = 1250 boats to disinfect. If a boat has been out of the
water and completely dry for 4-5 days, or if a boat only puts in and out of your
lake and no other, then there is no need to disinfect. Be sure to include
jet-skis. IF IN DOUBT - DISINFECT.
New estimate now 1000 boats to disinfect per season.
-
Virkon® Aquatic is now available in 10# tubs
of powder. Each tub will make 123 gallons of 1% Virkon®
Aquatic solution. Smaller boats (<18ft) only need ½ gal to disinfect.
Assuming a 50-50 split of large boats/small boats, each tub will disinfect
approximately 180 boats. At the current price of $94 per tub, that comes to
about .52 cents per boat. In the above example of 1000 boats per season, it
would cost $510 per season.
-
Virkon® Aquatic 10# tubs are available from CYGNET
ENTERPRISES for $94. Virkon® Aquatic foil packets that make one gallon are
also available for individual boaters. Call 1-800-283-5292 and shipping via
UPS ground takes 1-3 days for this Michigan based company.
Examples of Disinfecting a boat
|
(click on an image for a larger view) |
 |
 |
 |
| Spray bilge water exhaust |
Spray tires |
Spray water intakes |
People who have helped with this project
|
(click on an image for a larger view) |
 |
 |
 |
|
Jack
Hartman with Don Keith, Keweenaw County Commissioner |
Jack with George Madison,
MI DNR |
Jack with Ed Kisiel,
Eagle Harbor Twp. Supervisor |
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