MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says too many boaters are breaking state laws intended to make it harder for invasive species to spread in lakes and rivers.

The DNR says it’s ramping up enforcement this weekend as a result. DNR enforcement manager Capt. Greg Salo says conservation officers have issued 169 tickets and 375 warnings for violations of aquatic invasive species laws. Salo says officers have followed up with nearly 100 people after watercraft inspectors found their boats were unwitting carriers of zebra mussels.

Salo adds that the violation rate at check stations is running at 26 percent, which he calls "way too high." He says the most common violation is people failing to pull their boat plug and keep it out while transporting their boats.

To remind boaters of what not to do when loading watercraft into state lakes, it is illegal in Minnesota to: 

• Transport watercraft without the drain plug removed.
• Arrive at lake access with drain plug in place.
• Transport aquatic plants, zebra mussels, or other prohibited species, whether dead or alive.
• Launch watercraft with prohibited species attached.
• Transport water from Minnesota lakes or rivers.
• Release live bait into the water.