CD3 systems empower boaters themselves to clean, drain, and dry their boats and trailers.
In 2016, Dr. Edgar Rudberg and Mark Apfelbacher left the consulting field to help stop the spread of invasive species. They began CD3 as a general benefit corporation dedicated to developing technologies that prevent the spread of invasive species. As fathers, boaters, anglers, and hunters, their mission is to develop technologies that empower the public to reduce the spread of invasive species, safeguard local economies, and protect the natural environment. Dr. Rudberg employs his knowledge of behavioral psychology and Mr. Apfelbacher uses his background in landscape architecture to help communities install waterless cleaning infrastructure at boat ramps. These systems empower boaters themselves to clean, drain, and dry their boats and trailers. The results have been astounding. To date, boaters have used CD3 System tools over 100,000 times.
Boaters have used CD3 System tools over 100,000 times to remove water and vegetation.
For example, located in southeastern Michigan, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, the Gun Lake Tribe, has cultural ties to the water of Gun Lake. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) threaten their sacred water bodies with numerous species introduced to the watershed. Starry stonewort had not yet been found in the lake, and the community was grappling with ways to prevent its spread from nearby lakes. Gun Lake is a popular spot for recreation and has two public boat launches. The first is located at the Yankee Springs Recreation Area and operated by the Michigan DNR; the other is at Gun Lake County Park. Tribal surveys showed that respondents at the Yankee Springs Recreation Area frequently use boat launches at multiple lakes on the same day. This highly mobile boating public poses a significant risk for introducing starry stonewort to Gun Lake.
The Gun Lake Tribe installed three CD3 waterless boat wash stations on Gun Lake to empower the owners of inbound and outbound watercraft to remove water and vegetation.
“Preconstructed and ready for use, CD3 Wayside Solar units on precast concrete bases were one-third the cost of conventional permanent power washing stations in the area,” said Alex Wieten, Environmental Resource Manager for the Gun Lake Tribe. He continued, “The goal was to have CD3 Systems inhibit the transfer of invasive species by empowering physical removal of water and vegetation. Additionally, we hoped to educate users on the importance of cleaning their boats between lakes, ideally leading boat launch users to make these routine changes.”
As part of this deployment strategy, CD3 systems were wrapped in custom decals and call-to-action slogans to engage and empower the boating community.
To learn more about CD3 Systems and how you can empower recreationalists to clean, drain, and dry their boats and trailers, check out CD3‘s website at http://www.cd3systems.com. You can also reach out to Ed or Mark directly at stopais@cd3systems.com or by phone at (612) 467-9441.
