Project background
Since 2015, Minnesota counties have received $10 million each year to prevent and limit the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Watercraft inspections are one of the most common ways counties use these funds, helping prevent new infestations, detect AIS, and educate boaters.
Data collected during inspections has helped researchers understand how boats move between Minnesota’s lakes and identify the best locations for inspections in each county. This project builds on that work by examining whether greater coordination among counties. and at the statewide level, could reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and strengthen Minnesota’s overall AIS prevention efforts.
Research findings:
Boat traffic patterns across Minnesota have changed in recent years, making it important to regularly update how we assess the risk of AIS spread. Researchers analyzed boat movements among more than 9,200 lakes from 2018-2023 and found that boating patterns had not returned to their pre-pandemic structure by 2022-2023. Lakes already infested with AIS were also predicted to connect with hundreds more lakes than uninfested lakes, highlighting their importance as potential sources of spread.
The research also found that counties could get more out of their watercraft inspection programs by coordinating with one another. Statewide coordination increased potential prevention benefits by 6.4% and identified 302 high-risk lakes for inspection, compared with 220 under independent county planning. Regional partnerships captured nearly all of the benefits of statewide coordination while reducing the amount of funding that needed to move between counties by about 70%.
Camera monitoring also revealed that weekends were the busiest times for boat traffic, while boats showing evidence of fishing activity had a particularly strong exit peak between 5 and 8 p.m. These findings can help Minnesota target inspections where and when they are most likely to prevent AIS from spreading.
Phases
Phase I
Project title: Improving the efficiency of watercraft inspections through coordination and cooperation
Project manager: Amy Kinsley, Department Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Research team: Selina Cai, Associate Professor in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Funded by: MAISRC and the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources
Project timeline: 2021-2023
Research findings:
MAISRC researchers evaluated how different levels of coordination among state and county agencies affect the efficiency of Minnesota’s watercraft inspection programs, which are a key tool for preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Using computer models, they compared several approaches, from a fully state-coordinated plan to strategies involving independent or cooperative county management. The models showed that statewide coordination could inspect over 95% of high-risk boats with about 400 inspectors, while decentralized, county-led plans were 10–20% less effective. Collaborative approaches between counties improved efficiency compared to working independently, especially when sharing information or budgets, though they still fell short of the optimal statewide plan. These findings offer insights to help improve AIS prevention and management efforts across Minnesota.
Media
- Aquatic invasive species use boats to travel across Minnesota lakes, AIS Explorer, Water Resources Center
- Creativity and science merge at Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference, AIS Explorer, UMN News
- Species without borders: How collaboration could improve management of aquatic invasives, Amy Kinsley interviewed, UMN; College of Vet Med
- Inspections will be focus of Crow Wing County's plan to battle AIS this season, AIS Explorer, Brainerd Dispatch
- Talking aquatic invasive species with the U of M, Amy Kinsley interviewed, UMN News