PIERRE, S.D.(KCCR)- The Game, Fish and Parks Commission in December received a year-end report on aquatic invasive species in South Dakota.  Lake Oahe is one of six water bodies to have zebra mussels confirmed in them.  Fisheries Program Administrator Jake Davis was asked about the movement of mussels in the Missouri River.

Davis says more watercraft were inspected for A-I-S this year than any other.

Plug compliance was up to an all-time high of 98-percent, up two-percent from 2023.  Approximately 146 citations and 147 warnings were issued by law enforcement for A-I-S violations.  Davis says outreach and information remains the most important feature of the state’s A-I-S mitigation efforts.

Over two-thousand emails have been sent to users with A-I-S content.  They also target users at specific times during the year like going into summer-time holidays when watercraft use is more frequent.