Video: State cracking down on milfoil

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ISSAQUAH, Wash. - State Fish & Wildlife agent Kim Chandler gets a little riled up when he talks about the stuff he hates so much.

Eurasion millfoil is invading some of our most popular lakes and rivers and choking them off.

"This time of year the stuff is starting to break off. It's starting to float up," said Chandler.

Milfoil is the culprit, but Chandler says it has thousands of unsuspecting accomplices. He's convinced the milfoil is hitchhiking on boats and trailers to spread to new locations.

A map of known milfoil locations backs up that claim. It's all over the state, but mostly along busy traffic corridors like Interstate 5. Where trailers travel, so does milfoil.

Chandler and the state have seen enough.

"You get pulled over and written a $378 criminal citation for having milfoil hanging on your trailer," he said.

A criminal citation means you could go to jail over it.

KING

Eurasion millfoil is invading some of our most popular lakes and rivers and choking them off.

Most boaters had no idea.

"No I didn't. That's a pretty good fine alright," said boater Charlie Harris.

For now, Chandler is spreading the word instead of tickets.

You might think you have to pass through some plantation to get the stuff on your trailer, but that's not the case, look around in any of the boat ramps and you'll see it all floating around. And once it breaks off, it's very mobile.

"It's transferring this stuff from one body of water to the next you know?" said Chandler.

Chandler and other law enforcement agents can only hope their warning spreads more quickly than the milfoil.

Experts say the best way to clean milfoil off a boat and trailer is to just manually pull it off, and let it dry out on the parking lot.