LAKEPORT — Protectors of Clear Lake who want to keep out quagga and zebra mussels said Friday at the first invasive species conference they are considering tighter restrictions for events, including stickers, information packets and taking a role in permit authorization.
About 15 people with various backgrounds, from a bass fisherman to a PG&E representative to a Lakeport city councilwoman, met in a conference room at the Lake County Superior Court in Lakeport to discuss how to keep invasive species out of county waters.
“Unfortunately, if any of those show up we”ll have failed,” said Greg Giusti, University of California adviser.
Representatives from Yolo County, Stockton and Sacramento joined the group to help prevent quagga and zebra mussels from invading Lake County waters that feed other Northern California waterways such as the Sacramento River and the Delta, Giusti said.
“We don”t accept that this is a Lake County issue,” Giusti said. “Our waters drain east and west.”
County departments have the most difficult time informing out-of-county boaters about the invasive species and the sticker program, said Pam Francis, water resources department director.
“Boating coming from outside Lake County is traffic we want to give the stink-eye to,” Francis said.
Some out-of-towners know about quagga and zebra mussels because of the organizations they”re involved with, such as bass fishing, but weekend boaters may only be informed by signs, Giusti said.
Francis thinks quagga mussels could survive in Clear Lake, she said.
“If you have Asian clams you can have quagga mussels — and we have Asian clams up the wazoo,” Francis said.
A new park ranger in Lakeport, sheriff and fish and game deputies are the only enforcement inspectors authorized to check vessels at more than 600 launching sites on Clear Lake, Giusti said.
“There aren”t a lot of eyes checking boats entering the lake,” Giusti said.
However, deputies have escorted sticker-less boats off the lake and given citations, Giusti said.
Giusti and the conference participants invite citizens with resources or expertise to join the group. Those interested can call Giusti at 263-6838 or e-mail him at gagiusti@ucdavis.edu.
The group plans to meet 9 a.m. Oct. 29 in a conference room in the Lake County Superior Court at 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.
“If we are successful and keep the mussels out of the lake, our reward is we never stop,” Giusti said. “There”s no end point.”
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
