I fished Lake Vermilion this year for opener.  It was cold and miserable, and it took a lot of motivation to get out on the lake.  There were also some other people who were braving the elements at every landing on the lake.  They were boat inspectors working for the North St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservation.

They've secured a grant to keep 25 inspectors checking boats and educating boaters at the 12 Lake Vermilion landings throughout the summer.

Now, a collaboration between two local businesses and the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion has created two washing stations.  These are located at the Country Store in Cook, and the Y Store near Tower.  They are called AIS Boat Cleaning Stations and they will be staffed by trained inspectors.

St. Louis County Commissioner Tommy Rukavina had this to say:

“I want to thank the Sportsmen’s Club of Lake Vermilion for their hard work and initiative on this important issue. I’d also like to thank the Bois Forte Band via its Y Store, and The Country Store in Cook for partnering with them and providing boat cleaning stations.  Using grant money from the state, St. Louis County is happy to be able to help fund their efforts, as well as of others doing similar work to protect our waters from AIS, including the North St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Burntside Lake Association.”

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