Drain Campaign
and Landing Blitz

Statewide AIS Outreach Campaigns

Twice a year, volunteers and professional partners across the state team up to share AIS prevention information with specific audiences and increase public awareness and media coverage of AIS at their local boat landings.

2026 DATES

Drain Campaign: June 6 - 7, 2026

Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz: June 29 - July 12, 2026

Drain Campaign

The Drain Campaign focuses on reminding anglers to drain water from their livewells and buckets before leaving the boat landing with their catch. Originating in 2013, this campaign coincides with DNR's Free Fishing weekend in June, allowing engagement with new and experienced anglers. Social media and press release materials can be found in the Drain Campaign folder for media in Box, a subfolder in Drain Campaign and Landing Blitz Resources.

Over the years, ice packs or towels have been offered to anglers during the campaign, but funding for these is not currently available. There are a variety of free AIS publications available to hand out that remind anglers to drain water, such as the ‘Good Fishing, Healthy Waters’ sticker (FH-249) or the ‘Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers’ brochure (WT-801).

Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz

The Landing Blitz is a concentrated watercraft inspection and AIS outreach effort that occurs during the July 4th holiday, easily the busiest boating weekend of the year. Since 2010, the increase in boaters and anglers out enjoying Wisconsin's waters has provided an excellent opportunity to share the AIS prevention steps more broadly and garner media attention to the outreach effort.

Beginning in 2023, Wisconsin joined forces with the Great Lakes Commission to participate in the Great Lakes Regional Landing Blitz, which extended our campaign model to the entire Great Lakes Region and covers every state and province on the Great Lakes. Even though it’s called the “Great Lakes” Landing Blitz, all Wisconsin lakes and rivers can be locations for outreach during the Landing Blitz.

A variety of resources are available in the Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz folder in Box, including social media and press release templates, logos, and factsheets.

LMPN partner Chris Acy with FWWA talks with the local TV station about the AIS prevention steps during the Landing Blitz.

Landing Blitz Stickers Available!

Free Great Lakes Landing Blitz trailer stickers are available to order and hand out during the event! Stickers are bundled in packs of 50.

To order, email DNRAISinfo@wisconsin.gov and include:

item name and pub number (WY-113)
number of stickers desired
shipping address

Funding Available

For the last several years, the Great Lakes Commission has offered grants to help expand Landing Blitz efforts. The grant announcements are shared through the WI AIS Partnership listserv. The 2026 Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz Request for Proposals is now available! The deadline for submitting proposals is 4:00pm CST on Sunday, April 5, 2026.

Landing Blitz Winter Watch

Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz Winter Watch outreach materials are available courtesy of the Great Lakes Commission. Materials can be found in Box folder Great Lakes AIS Winter Watch. Materials can be modified as needed, as they were created to use across the Great Lakes Region.

Want to print your own towels for Drain Campaign or the Landing Blitz?

Since the Extension and WDNR AIS Programs aren't able to provide boat towels, we occasionally get inquires from groups who want to print their own using personal or grant funding. The following was included in past towel bid requests regarding size and material: 85% polyester, 15% polyamide, two colors (red and black) on white fabric, silk-screened on one side, 15” x 18” with 11” x 15” imprint area, with brass grommet and hook in upper left corner. The Drain Campaign towel request would be the same, but dark blue with white print. See the image below.

PDF files of designs are available to download from the Box.

Ava, with River Alliance, holding a Landing Blitz boat towel.

The Drain Campaign message can be printed on a towel or ice pack to remind anglers to drain their catch.

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