PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — Scuba divers and kayakers took to Prairie Queen Lake on Sunday to pull trash from the water and shine a light on a growing environmental threat: aquatic invasive species.
Volunteer Dave Sullivan said his motivation was simple.
"I hate litter and just love to help out the environment," Sullivan said.
But the cleanup was also about education — specifically about the aquatic invasive species causing problems in Nebraska, for example curly-leaf pondweed.
"You see all these weeds, so this is invasive curly-leaf
I spoke with the president and some of the members of the Greater Omaha SCUBA Club, which collaborated on the event with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Volunteer Chad Casey said what divers found beneath the surface was telling.
"A lot of weeds," Casey said.
A 3-person team is responsible for managing and preventing invasive species across the entire state. They identified 3 invasive species in Prairie Queen Lake alone.
"We have three invasive species here in Prairie Queen," Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager Kristopher Stahr told me.
Invasive white perch and Eurasian watermilfoil cause issues in addition to the previously mentioned pondweed. Because these species spread so easily, Stahr, said he wishes more people would take proper precautions.
"Clean, drain, dry your boat, report some sightings. You know, it's kind of like the airport message — if you see something, say something," Stahr said.
Anyone who spots something unusual while out on the water can file a report online at OutdoorNebraska.gov.
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