LAKE COUNTY — Lake County has taken the lead in Northern California to prevent the introduction of quagga mussels into the county”s waters.
A big part of the prevention program rests with public awareness and participation. The Kiwanis Club of Lakeport along with their subsidiary group, The Aktion Club of Lakeport, which has members in the People Services Inc., have come up with an idea to make the public aware of getting boats inspected and to prevent the mussels from being introduced into lakes and streams.
According the Lakeport Kiwanis Club member and past president Eric Wheaton, the idea to make the program highly visible came from the age old Burma Shave signs that were once popular across the United States. The idea is to have a series of signs that send a message.
The plan is to come with catchy phrases that will attract attention from motorists to make sure their boats are inspected prior to launching them into Clear Lake and other waters in Lake County.
Wheaton approached Piedmont Lumber in Lakeport who volunteered to donate the material for the signs and People Services was recruited to make the signs. The Kiwanis Club solicited landowners who have property adjoining the roads leading into the county and near boat ramps for permission to put up the signs.
On Saturday the first signs were installed on Soda Bay Road near the Lakeside County Park. The signs were a series of five signs that read; Quagga Mussel, Have a Hotline, Boat Inspected?, Avoid a fine, 263-2556. According to Wheaton, the Kiwanis Club plans to install signs throughout the county with each set of signs having a different catch phrase. One set of five signs will say, “Quagga mussels, Are a fright, Your dry boat, Avoids the plight.” Another set will say, “Quagga Mussels, Are in Havasu, Our lakes, R Clean, Thanks to You.”
Wheaton said the Kiwanis Club is seeking permission from landowners to install the signs on their property. At least 1,000 feet of space along popular routes in the county is needed.
Property owners interested in volunteering the use of their land can contact Wheaton at 279-4840 or e-mail at eewheaton@hotmail.com.
