PREVENTING AQUATIC INVASIVES AT LAKE TAHOE

Beginning in June, boaters launching at Lake Tahoe must pay a nominal fee to help fund an inspection program aimed at preventing the introduction of such aquatic invasive species such as those detailed below. Read more...

The destructive Quagga and Zebra mussels have recently infested 17 different lakes and reservoirs in California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe is seriously at risk. Both mussels can colonize on many types of surfaces, including all watercraft (including kayaks and inflatables), and can be transported from lake to lake on such surfaces. After making their way to a body of water, they reproduce quickly and can have dramatic, devastating impacts. If they reach Lake Tahoe, they would undoubtedly cause severe recreational and economic damage (they clog water intake lines and congregate on the engines and hulls of boats). In addition, they would transform pristine beaches into a maze of jagged shells and cause an odiferous stench to the area as they decompose. Once in the Lake, we will likely have them forever, and treatment could easily cost tens of millions of dollars every year!

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has taken some steps to prevent a quagga or zebra mussel infestation at Lake Tahoe. However, The League to Save Lake Tahoe has proposed that more stringent measures are put in place to ensure every boat entering Lake Tahoe is inspected and subject to treatment. In the Bay Area, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is requiring an inspection for all boats on its reservoirs and will turn away all boats from outside of California, from southern California, and even from nearby San Benito and Santa Clara counties. All it takes is one infested boat to initiate an irreversible infestation.

For now, everyone needs to be adopting the following practices for this state of emergency:

FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION:
Avoid bringing any watercraft, engine, or any materials that have been in any other body of water to Lake Tahoe. Larval and adult forms of the quagga and zebra can affix to a wide variety of substances including metal, wood, fiberglass, plastic, neoprene, clothing, and even animals (crayfish and dogs). These mussels can survive for up to 30 days on dry surfaces and much longer in any standing water. Preferably dedicate your watercraft and accessories exclusively to Tahoe or rent a watercraft while at Tahoe.

AT A MINIMUM:
All watercraft (including hull, trailer, motor, impeller, bilge, live well, bait buckets, coolers, trailer bunks, rollers, anchors, ropes, etc.) and accessories need to be cleaned, drained, and dried before and after use in any body of water employing a combination of hot water of 140 degrees Fahrenheit from a high-pressure hose, a potassium chloride solution, or a 6% chlorine bleach solution.

Click here for information on what the TRPA is currently doing about these invasive mussels.

Click here for more information on The League to Save Lake Tahoe's proposed plan.

Click here to go to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District website which offers tips on how to ensure your boat is properly cleaned and what to do if you suspect you may have discovered a mussel.