"The find is significant for several reasons," Goeckler said. "This is the water supply for the city of Council Grove; this lake connects to Council Grove Reservoir during high water; and downstream, the water supply for Emporia could be impacted. The entire Neosho River drainage will have zebra mussels as they spread downstream out of the city lake and from Marion Reservoir on the Cottonwood River. This is just another new infestation that costs the Kansas economy and impacts our way of life, and it could have been prevented."

Goeckler and his team also collected plankton samples from Council Grove Reservoir and the Neosho River at Emporia. Results are pending lab analysis. In the meantime, anyone with information about the release of zebra mussels into Council Grove City Lake is encouraged to contact Operation Game Thief, 1-877-426-3843, or KDWP's Emporia Research Office, 620-342-0658.

This is the ninth Kansas water body where zebra mussels have been found. If all boaters and lake users adhere to the following simple steps, zebra mussel spread could be checked:

Before leaving a lake

• Clean — inspect equipment for anything that doesn’t belong — including plants, animals, and mud — and remove it; and
• Drain — drain all water from equipment and if fishing, dispose of bait properly on the shore or in an approved trash receptacle. Never dump bait back into a lake.

Before using at another lake

• Dry — thoroughly dry equipment for five days or wash it with hot water if it is needed before the five days have expired (140 degree water for 10 seconds contact time will kill zebra mussels).

The "clean, drain, dry" procedure means cleaning, draining, and drying all equipment — including boats, tackle, waders, and any other equipment used on the water — before moving it from one body of water to another.

To help stem the spread of zebra mussels and other aquatic nuisance species (ANS), KDWP has developed an online study and test site where water users can be wise users when it comes to ANS. Go to the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us, and click " Aquatic Nuisance Species" under "Today's Links" to learn all about these destructive species in Kansas and link to ANS Education Course and Voluntary Certification. Educational information is displayed in video, text, and image form. After reviewing this material, participants can take a quiz with scenario-based questions to test what they've learned. Those who complete the process can then print a certificate proving that they have taken this short course.

The impact of zebra mussels on fisheries can be profound. Zebra mussels eat by filtering microscopic food from the water. Young fish and native mussels rely on this same microscopic food to survive. Economic impacts are as grim as environmental impacts. Due to zebra mussels in intake and discharge pipes, municipalities, utilities, and industries have incurred significant costs associated with monitoring, cleaning, and controlling infestations. For example, Wichita recently allocated more than $2 million to upgrade water treatment facilities to deal with zebra mussels from Cheney Reservoir.

Zebra mussels also have sharp shells that can cut the unprotected skin of people and animals. Federal legislation has been passed to help prevent the spread of zebra mussels. If an individual is caught transporting live zebra mussels into Kansas, they may face up to six months in jail and fines up to $5,000.
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Early teal seasons to allow 16- and nine-day seasons; additional deer and elk regulations approved
HERINGTON — At a June 24 meeting in Herington, the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission approved recommendations dealing with early teal seasons, public land use, elk permits, and special deer seasons, as well as the nonresident deer application period.

The early teal season will be 16 days in the Low Plains Zone and nine days in the High Plains Zone, one day longer than previous years in the High Plains Zone. For the Low Plains Zones (that part of Kansas east of Hwy 283), the season will run Sept. 11-26. For the High Plains Zone (that part of Kansas west of Hwy 283), the season will run Sept. 18-26. The daily bag limit for teal is four and the possession limit is eight. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

In other action, the commission approved a $125 Hunt-Own-Land Either-Sex Elk permit; approved a list of rules applicable to specific public lands; set an April 30, 2011, application deadline for 2011 nonresident limited-quota antlered deer permits; and set 2010 deer season dates for Fort Riley. Fort Riley 2010 deer seasons are as follow:

• firearm — Nov. 26-28, Dec. 18-22, and Dec. 26-29;
• youth/disabled — Oct. 8-11; and
• archery — Sept. 1-Dec. 31.

An amendment to the Fort Riley seasons was approved to include Jan. 8-9, 2011, as dates when "individuals who possess the required authorization issued by Fort Riley" may hunt antlered deer. This amendment is designed to include returning soldiers who may not have had the opportunity to hunt antlered deer during the open season.

The commission also set dates for the special extended firearm antlerless-only season in units 7, 8, and 15 at Jan. 10-16, 2011.

In other action, the commission approved an amendment that set the deadline for purchase of spring turkey/second turkey game tag combination permits. The spring turkey combination package must be purchased before April 1, 2011.
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Ellsworth man breaks 22-year-old record
PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) has certified a new Kansas state record striped bass that was caught in Wilson Reservoir on May 14, breaking a record that had stood for 22 years. Paul Bahr, Ellsworth, hauled the monster 44-inch, 44-pounder from the lake about 7 p.m. using live shad for bait. After Bahr's fish was weighed on a certified scale, witnessed, and the species confirmed by KDWP fisheries biologist Tommie Berger, Bahr waited the required 30 days before the fish was officially certified a new state record.

Wilson is one of the few reservoirs in the state that harbors a viable striped bass population, and the previous record was taken at this lake, as well. That fish weighed 43.5 pounds and was taken by Sylvan Grove resident Chester Nily in May of 1988.

Striped bass are native to the Atlantic coastline of North America from the St. Lawrence River into the Gulf of Mexico to approximately Louisiana. They are anadromous, meaning that they migrate between saltwater and freshwater, where they spawn. Although they can survive in some Kansas reservoirs, the water must be somewhat clear, and peak summer temperatures must remain relatively cool. Natural reproduction has not been documented in Kansas waters. Stripers were first introduced in Kansas in early 1970s, but fishable populations may only be found in Wilson, Cheney, and La Cygne reservoirs.

A potential state record fish must remain intact until it is weighed and officially identified. Anyone who believes they have caught a state record fish must bring the fish to a grocery store or other business with certified scales as soon as possible. The weighing must be witnessed. The fish must be species-confirmed by a KDWP fisheries biologist. (A tissue sample may be required.) A color photograph of the fish must accompany the application. The fish must be weighed before it is frozen.

All applications for state records require a 30-day waiting period before certification. For a list of Kansas state record fish, visit the KDWP website, www.kdpw.state.ks.us, or pick up a copy of the Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary wherever licenses are sold.