The beautiful, clean lakes are one of the biggest reasons people come to the Northwoods. It’s why you likely won’t find any shortage of boats on the water this weekend. Aquatic Invasive Species remain a big concern in the Northwoods. Cathy Higley is the Vilas County Lake Conservation Specialist. She said you should be checking your boat every time you put it in and pull it out of a lake. “Just make sure you’re expecting your boat for plants and animals. Remove any plants and animals. Drain all the lake water from your live well, your bilge, your ballast tanks, or any other area that’s holding water. And also, never move live fish,” said Higley.