Inspections ward off invasive mussels

Watercraft inspection data and scientific reports continue to indicate that Lake Tahoe’s waters remain clear of invasive Quagga and Zebra mussels, which are considered major threats to Lake Tahoe and surrounding waterbodies.

Tahoe Resource Conservation District watercraft inspectors performed 8,000 inspections this boating season, and there were an additional 19,000 launches comprised of watercraft with intact Tahoe-issued inspection seals.

“We’re very happy with the watercraft inspection program thus far,” said Patrick Stone, TRPA’s Senior Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist and lead for early detection monitoring of invasive mussels. “Investigations conducted around Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Lake and Echo Lake confirmed that Quagga and Zebra mussels have not established in our lakes. These results are a credit to the inspection program.”

Concern among local agencies remains high as more Western waterbodies have shown evidence of invasive mussels and other aquatic invaders. Waterbodies in California and Nevada known to be infected with invasive mussels include San Justo Reservoir, Lake Mead, Lake Havasu and the entire Colorado River system. As watercraft continue to arrive from high risk waters, the importance of Lake Tahoe’s watercraft inspection program remains critical. Federal appropriations through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010 enabled the program to implement off-highway inspection stations. This created an opportunity to streamline inspection procedures and increase decontamination capacity.

2010 saw a dramatic increase in watercraft decontaminations, which doubled from approximately 600 in 2009 to 1,208 this year. Improved decontamination capacity at off-highway inspection locations allowed inspectors to be more thorough in treating high-risk watercraft. Additional improvements to inspection protocol allowed inspectors to increase prevention efforts by intercepting watercraft arriving from waters known to be infested with aquatic invasive mussels.

In total, 11 watercraft showing the presence of aquatic invasive species of concern were intercepted and decontaminated.

“It only takes one contaminated boat to introduce aquatic invasive species into Lake Tahoe,” said Tahoe RCD Biological Resources Program Manager Kim Boyd. “We need to remain vigilant and not let our guard down. We hope that by demonstrating the success of the watercraft inspection program for Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe RCD and its partners can create a model for prevention programs by sharing our resources and providing support. The TRPA, our key partner in invasive species prevention, continues to be instrumental in the success and evolution of this program.”

While the addition of convenient off-highway locations enabled boaters to receive their watercraft inspections and decontaminations when entering the Lake Tahoe Basin, marinas and boat launches continued to be the busiest locations for inspections in 2010. Cave Rock saw the most inspections, followed by the Tahoe Keys Marina, Lake Forest Boat Launch, Meyers Inspection Station, Alpine Meadows Inspection Station and Sand Harbor. Off-highway inspection stations accounted for approximately 31 percent of all inspections performed during the 2010 boating season.

This year’s prevention efforts also included a more rigorous non-motorized watercraft inspection process at ramp facilities, U.S. Forest Service kiosks and Fallen Leaf Lake. Tahoe RCD inspectors surveyed more than 1,900 paddlers to assess the risk of transporting aquatic invasive species from previously visited water bodies. Paddlers also were educated about self-inspecting and decontaminating canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

Current information on the boat inspection program, including hours of operation for boat launches and snow closures, is available at http://TahoeBoatInspections.com or by calling 888-824-6267. For more information on the district, visit www.tahoercd.org.

Protecting Tahoe from invasive species

Quagga and zebra mussels, invasive species that are miniscule in size, are at the center of the latest battle to protect Lake Tahoe.

These mussels, which are hitching rides on boats and trailers and in ballast tanks, bladders and live wells, are spreading across the West. Quagga and zebra mussels will spread rapidly once they are introduced to a lake and will gorge on the food supply, kill fish and pollute the clarity of the lake. They also will clog cooling system water intakes, causing motors to overheat. As well, they have been found in pipes in municipal water systems.

The mussels can also be found on kayaks, water toys, wetsuits and any equipment exposed to infected waters.

Young quagga mussels will feel like sandpaper to the touch, while adults usually have dark concentric rings on the shell. The mussels can grow up to 1.6”, making the young mussels hard to spot. Full grown mussels are usually smaller than a quarter.

In its latest battle to protect the lake, TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency) has instituted a mandatory inspection of all boats launched in Lake Tahoe. The inspections were offered free until a fee system went into effect on June 1. TRPA says the fees will cover their costs formerly paid for through a grant that has run out of funds.

Infected waters

Quagga mussels were discovered in Lake Mead in January 2007, and since then have been confirmed at lakes south of Lake Tahoe. Quagga and zebra mussels have been confirmed in waters of the Colorado River Drainage, Lake Mohave, Lake Havasu in California and Arizona, and the San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County.

Inspectors decontaminated six vessels in the Lake Tahoe area over Memorial Day weekend. One vessel was found to have quagga mussels, while the other five came from waters where mussels have been discovered.

Vessel fees

TRPA is charging inspection fees for all motorized vessels at public launches and area marinas. These fees are in addition to any launch fees levied at ramps and marinas.

Vessels that have an inspection fee intact when launched the next time will not have to pay a fee. The fees are:

·      Non-motorized vessels & vessels with intact inspection seal – No charge

·      Vessels up to 16’ - $10

·      Vessels over 16’ & up to 25’ - $30

·      Vessels over 25’ & up to 39’ - $40

·      Vessels over 39’ - $60

·      Vessels with ballast tanks, bladders & live wells - $10 additional

A 10-inspection discount card is available for boats that frequently launch at lakes that do not offer inspections or decontamination. The 25 percent discount cards are only available at the TRPA office in Stateline, Nev.

Preventing infestation

To prevent vessels from being infested, TRPA recommends these steps:

·      Clean, drain and dry all equipment with every trip

·      Wash watercraft and trailers with a high pressure hose at 140 degrees

·      Learn how to inspect watercraft for mussels

·      Let boats dry out for 28 days prior to transporting to other waters

·      Wash fishing equipment, water toys, wetsuits and flotation devices in a diluted bleach solution prior to use in other waters

For more information, call the TRPA hotline at (888) 824-6267, visit www.protecttahoe.org, follow http://twitter.com/tahoeaquatic or text “Follow tahoeaquatic” to 40404.