Tiffany Revelle
Record-Bee staff
LAKE COUNTY ? With boaters headed into the Lake County for the holiday weekend, the county and Department of Fish & Game want to thwart the possible spread of the quagga mussel to the county”s prized lake.
The DFG issued a statement Thursday that its strategy is to block entrance to California. Checkpoints at Yermo, Needles and Vidal Junction will inspect incoming watercraft and trailers.
And locally Water Resources Department Program Coordinator Carolyn Ruttan said the county is asking boaters to follow these guidelines:
“Has the boat been used in Lakes Mead, Mohave, Havasu, Pleasant or waters east of the Rocky Mountains in the last 30 days? If not, you”re clear to launch,” she said.
“Was the boat and trailer thoroughly washed and allowed to completely dry for at least five days since the last launch? If not, then boaters must have removed all dirt, organic material, or grit from the boat,” she said.
Ruttan added that boaters must have drained and flushed all live wells and bilge areas, and the boat must be allowed to dry for at least five days.
In response to the threat, the county plans to test 10 of Clear Lake”s most popular boat ramps and docks. The species travels not only by any craft that goes in the water ? including boat trailers ? but also by way of bait that may have been exposed to contaminated water, and even on legal aquatic plants.
The DFG is asking boaters to follow these directions as they leave the water:
n Inspect all exposed surfaces. Quagga mussels will feel like sandpaper to the touch.
n Thoroughly wash the hull of each watercraft once it is out of the water, removing all plants and animal material.
n Drain any water through the vessel”s hull plug and ensure the area is dry.
n Ensure the vessel”s lower outboard unit is drained and dry.
n Clean and dry any live well aboard the vessel.
n Empty and dry any buckets.
n Any vessel traveling from Lake Mead or the Colorado River should remain dry and out of the water for five days.
n Dispose of all bait in the trash.
The county Board of Supervisors saw a need for action after a presentation Tuesday which highlighted the possible expense if the lake is infested with the mussel, which usually grows no larger than the size of a fingernail.
The cost of maintaining the population in the Great Lakes area averages $36 billion per year, according to Water Resources Department Program Coordinator Carolyn Ruttan. And once the species becomes established, she said it”s almost impossible to eradicate.
“They wreak havoc on the environment, distupting the natural food chain and releasing toxins that affect other species,” according to a DFG press release. Quagga mussels also disrupt the ecosystem, endanger fishing opportunities, soil boats and boat docks, leave sharp, fowl-smelling, glass-like shells on shorelines.
Because of how rapidly they multiply, the major threat the tiny creatures pose is in their ability to clog water pipes. Since the mussel was first found in Lake St. Clair, near Detroit, in 1988, it has quickly spread “at an alarming rate through much of the Eastern U.S.,” according to the Water Resources Dept.
The mussel”s first sighting west of the Rockey Mountains was in January, when it was found in Lake Mead, southeast of Las Vegas. Infestations have since been reported in lakes Mojave and Havasu.
In its larval state, the mussel is microscopic and virtually undetectable. Normally smooth surfaces will feel sandy to the touch if larva are present, said Ruttan.
For more information, lake-goers may call 1-866-440-9530 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the quagga response visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/quaggamussel/.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
