Washington opens boat cleaning station at Kettle Falls in fight against aquatic invasive species

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife installed a Clean, Drain, Dry (CD3) unit installed at the Kettle Falls Marina on Lake Roosevelt in northeast Washington to help fight the spread of aquatic invasive species.

WDFW partnered with the Washington Invasive Species Council, the Bureau of Reclamation, Washington State Parks, U.S. Park Service, and area tribes.

CD3 units are free, user-operated cleaning equipment for boats and other equipment used on the water, according to an agency news release. The wet/dry vacuum and blower system allow boaters to remove weeds, plant fragments, and other aquatic invasive species that could take over local waterways, costing millions of dollars to manage.

A series of these units are planned for the Columbia River Basin, including one that recently became operational on Banks Lake in Grant County.