Aquatic invasive species often hitchhike with unsuspecting people. They can:

  • Diminish food supplies and degrade habitat for other species;
  • Reduce numbers and variety of desirable fish;
  • Reduce fishing and other recreational opportunities;
  • Lower property values and decrease quality of municipal water sources;
  • Foul water lines, clog intakes, burn out pumps, damage power generating facilities, and decrease water system efficiency; and
  • Increase the risk of flooding due to overcrowded biomass and clogging of lake outlets.

The Big Three

Zebra Mussel

 Zebra mussels are named for the dark and white patter on their shells. They filter mussel much like native mussel species, but the impact is dire: clogged pipes, damaged infrastructure, and dangerous algal blooms.

Several small zebra mussels in front of a U.S. quarter coin on a white background.

Invasive Carp

Silver carp, bighead carp, black carp, and grass carp are all invasive in Kansas. They grow quickly and feed voraciously, competing with other fish for food resources and disrupting aquatic habitats.

A silvery-grey fish with a streamlined body and forked tail on a white background.

White Perch

 White perch are native to the Atlantic coast of North America, but it's unclear how they came to Kansas. They feed heavily on baitfish used by other species, prey on walleye eggs, and hurt white bass populations.

A silvery-grey fish with a spiny dorsal fin and forked tail on a white background.

Other Unwanted Species

New Zealand Mudsnail
Round Goby
Rudd
Ruffe
Rusty Crayfish
Euraisan Watermilfoil
Curly-leaf Pondweed
Hydrilla
Invasive Phragmites
Purple Loostrife
Salt Cedar

Aquatic Invasive Species Laws and Regulations

A number of laws and regulations are designed to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

  • K.A.R. 115-7-3: Use it where you catch it. Wild-caught bait may be used only in the common drainage where taken as long as it is not transported above a dam or natural barrier, except that bluegill and green sunfish collected from non-designated aquatic invasive waters may be possessed or used as live bait anywhere in the state.
  • K.A.R. 115-8-6: More use it where you catch it. You can catch minnows, bait fish and other fishing bait for non-commercial purposes on department lands and waters, but it must be used where taken, except that bluegill and green sunfish collected from non-designated aquatic invasive waters may be possessed or used as live bait anywhere in the state.
  • K.A.R. 115-8-12: Don't dump bait. You cannot stock or release wildlife on department lands or waters, navigable publicly-owned waters and federal reservoirs unless authorized. Dispose of unused bait on dry ground or in an approved bait receptacle.
  • K.A.R. 115-30-13: Drain water. You must drain livewells and bilges and remove drain plugs from all vessels before they are transported on any public highway.
  • K.A.R. 115-18-10: Protect Kansas from invasive species. You cannot import, possess, or release the listed live wildlife species without a permit.
  • K.A.R. 115-20-3(c): Don't release exotic wildlife. You cannot release exotic wildlife onto the lands or into the waters of the state of Kansas.

Certified Bait Dealer Statutes and Regulations

  • K.S.A. 32-701(o): Defines Private Water Fishing Impoundments
  • K.S.A. 32-807(q): Powers of the Secretary
  • K.S.A. 32-941: Commercial Harvest Permits
  • K.S.A. 32-974: Private Water Fishing Impoundment Exemptions
  • K.A.R. 115-17-1: Commercial Harvesting of Fish Bait
  • K.A.R. 115-17-2: Commercial Sale of Fish Bait
  • K.A.R. 115-17-2a: Testing of Live Aquatic Bait for Pathogens
  • K.A.R. 115-17-3: Permits for the Harvest, Sale, or Purchase for Resale of Fish Bait
  • K.A.R. 115-17-4: Legal Equipment and Methods for Commercial Harvest of Fish Bait
  • K.A.R. 115-17-5: Locations Where Commercial Harvest of Fish Bait Is Allowed
  • K.A.R. 115-15-1: Threatened and Endangered Species
  • K.A.R. 115-15-2: Non-game Species

U.S. Geological Survey Location Maps

Locations of aquatic invasive species in Kansas are reported to the U.S. Geological Survey

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