Outdoor briefs: DNR camping site reservations; fall boating safety tips; state Archaeology Month; campers, don't move firewood; zebra mussels now in Fort Wayne areaDNR campsites nearly full for holiday weekendDNR campgrounds and cabins were virtually booked to capacity for Labor Day weekend. Those who still have the urge to camp this fall can reserve a site by visiting
www.camp.IN.gov or calling 866-622-6746. Shelters can be reserved at the same Web site and phone number.
Halloween weekend and the weekends surrounding it have become popular camping dates. Campsite reservations for the Oct. 31 weekend are already one-third full, so those who want to mix treat-or-treating and camping, or take part in one or more of the many other fall-related festivals at individual properties should make plans now.
Boating group offers some safety tips Labor Day marks the start of the fall boating season, a time for cooler temperatures, uncrowded waterways and great fishing. But this time of year also brings its own unique safety challenges, especially for boaters or anglers in smaller craft, according to the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water.
“There are reasons why October and November are the deadliest months of the year for boaters,” said BoatUS Foundation Director of Boating Safety Chris Edmonston in a recent news release. He was referring to the US Coast Guard’s 2008 Recreational Boating Statistics.
Here are some 2008 US Coast Guard statistics along with some fall boating season safety tips:
While there are more accidents in the summer months when recreational boating is in full swing, the odds of dying if you are in an accident go up in the months of October and November. The reason? Being unprepared for the conditions. (22 percent and 25 percent of all accidents in these months, respectively result in deaths.)
Statistics also show over half of all boating deaths occur with small boats. That’s because they are usually open to the elements and more vulnerable to wind, waves and swamping.
Cold water quickly saps away your strength. Wearing a life jacket could give you the time you need to safely re-board if you accidentally fall overboard. Also ensure you have a means to quickly get back aboard without assistance, such as a ladder or even a dockline (Over two-thirds of all fatal boating accidents’ victims drowned and of these, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket). Dress appropriately and recognize that even slight changes in the weather can make hypothermia a real threat if you are not prepared.
In the fall there are very few fellow boaters and anglers nearby — your closest potential rescuers. Without the help of fellow boaters, your float plan is your only back-up. Share with a family member or trusted friend where you plan to go and when you expect to return, so they may notify authorities if you are overdue returning.
State’s Archaeology Month has begunHoosier history buffs can learn about archaeological sites and artifacts, make stone tools and talk with archaeologists during September, the 14th annual Indiana Archaeology Month.
This year’s slogan, “Ancient Artistry,” pertains to the skill Indiana’s earliest peoples used to make everyday items as well as works of special significance.
By showcasing these artifacts all month through special events, commemorative posters and T-shirts, the DNR Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology hopes to illustrate the creativity and skill that went into making these objects, and help people better appreciate these cultures.
Indiana Archaeology Month features events for all ages. For a schedule and more information, see dnr.IN.gov/historic or contact Amy Johnson of the DNR Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, at
ajohnson@dnr.IN.gov or 317-232-1646.
Protect our trees; Don’t move firewood The Indiana Department of Natural Resources asks for campers’ help keeping emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive insect that attacks ash trees, out of its camping properties. Restricting hardwood firewood brought through the gate is the best way to do so.
The tiny insect is devastating to ash trees, killing millions in Michigan, Ohio, northeastern Indiana and several other states in the past few years.
To help manage EAB and preserve the shade, campers should not bring any type of hardwood firewood with them from any Indiana county under EAB quarantine. Hardwood firewood of any type, not just ash, may not be brought into any Indiana state park, reservoir or state forest campground. An interactive map showing quarantined Indiana counties is at
www.IN.gov/dnr/entomolo/5349.htm.
Visitors from quarantined counties should not bring hardwood firewood from home as it will be confiscated. Visitors may bring pine or scrap, kiln-dried lumber, or packaged firewood that has a federal certification label or a state-compliance agreement label, or campers may purchase firewood after entering the property.
Under a federal quarantine, no firewood may be brought into Indiana from Michigan, Ohio or Illinois, or from parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, Missouri, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia. .
For more information on emerald ash borer, visit
www.entm.purdue.edu/EAB or call Purdue’s EAB Outreach and Education program at 765-494-0822.
Zebra mussels mean troubleA lone zebra mussel was found attached to a rock in the St. Joseph River in Fort Wayne this month during routine sampling led by Saint Francis University assistant professor Warren Pryor.
That could signal big trouble for waters in that area, much as the mussel’s presences has affected others.
Though found in more than 75 bodies of water in 43 counties throughout Indiana, the discovery marks the first time that the mussel has been found in Allen County. Zebra mussels were also discovered earlier in the year in Sylvan Lake, the first find in Noble County.
Doug Keller, aquatic invasive species coordinator with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, said the effect of zebra mussels can be devastating where the invasive species successfully colonizes.
“Zebra mussels can rapidly multiply and are known for clogging drainage and filtration pipes,” Keller said. “Besides pipes, they can attach to virtually anything in the water column, including rocks, limbs, piers or even boats.”
Zebra mussels are originally from Europe and spread rapidly across North America in the 1990s. Aside from being a costly nuisance to humans, zebra mussels may also cause declines in fish populations. By filtering tiny plants, called phytoplankton, out of the water column, zebra mussels diminish the base of the food chain, potentially causing declines in all other aquatic life, including fish.
Keller said that few options for eradicating the mussel exist, short of eliminating every other living thing in the river. The best means of control, he said, is by educating boaters about preventing further spread of the mussel.
Typically, zebra mussels are transported by human recreational activities such as boating or fishing. A few simple tasks can prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species. Removing all aquatic vegetation and draining livewells, bilge, water lines and boat trailers at access ramps will prevent transport of the mollusk to other waters. Drying equipment after each use also is important.
“Letting all equipment dry for five days after a boating trip will prevent the spread of both adults and larvae,” Keller said. “However, if you plan to visit a body of water sooner, you can use a solution of 5 percent bleach and water to clean and disinfect all of your equipment.”
The DNR has posted informational signs at all DNR-owned boat ramps to remind users of these procedures. For more information, visit
www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3123.htm, or contact Keller at 317-234-3883.
Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2009
