Does Clear Lake presently have the quagga mussel and, if not, is the county doing enough to prevent the mussel from getting into the lake?
Those were a few of the questions members of public asked during Monday”s Invasive Species Council Meeting. Water Resources Director Scott De Leon and committee chairman Greg Giusti fielded most of the questions and updated the committee and the public on the upcoming county ordinance dealing with boat inspections and the quagga mussel policy. The ordinance becomes effective Feb. 25.
Several members of the public said they felt the county wasn”t doing enough to prevent the mussels from getting into the lake. They said the prevention program was weak and didn”t go far enough. De Leon explained that the program continues to improve and is constantly being updated. For example, new signs are being installed at the public ramps telling boaters their vessels must be screened or inspected. The county also has changed the penalty for boaters who launch an unstickered boat into the lake from an infraction to a misdemeanor, including a possible fine of a $1,000. De Leon also said his department is tightening up the screening and inspection program. He said any screener or inspector who isn”t doing an adequate job will be replaced.
Giusti explained that in the past four years the county”s mussel prevention program has evolved into one of the most comprehensive programs in Northern California. In fact, Lake County and Lake Tahoe are the only areas that require mandatory boat inspections. In addition, there is the Quagga Ranger volunteer program where trained volunteers will be stationed at the public boat ramps to inform boaters that they must have their boats screened or inspected prior to launching.
The county”s website for invasive species has also been updated. Bass tournament directors have been notified and have been cooperating with the county in informing their contestants that all boats must be inspected prior to launching. According to the Lake County Sheriff”s Boat Patrol, compliance with the county ordinance has been very good and they are seeing very few boats that don”t have a current quagga mussel sticker.
The good news is quagga mussels have not been found in any waters in Northern California in the past four years. According to the Department of Fish and Game (DFG), the mussels have been confined to the waters that drain into the Colorado River in Southern Nevada and Southern California.
Despite what some may think, I don”t believe the mussels are in Clear Lake. If they were here they would be showing up attached to the dock pilings or other structures such as one of the 25 substrate monitoring concrete blocks that have been placed around the lake by the county.
A few people have said the county should just close all the waters in Lake County to all boats. That would be disastrous to the economy of the county. Tourism provides hundreds of jobs. If the lake were closed the motels and restaurants as well as the gas stations and stores would take a massive hit. The unemployment rate in the county is already at 19 percent and if the lake were closed you would see it jump to 40 percent overnight.
The mussel prevention program is not perfect and there could be some improvements. One is public education and public involvement. If a person sees a boater attempting to launch a boat not displaying a current sticker he/she should politely inform the boater that not only could they get a citation and pay a fine of $1,000, but could also pollute the lake as well. The program will also get better in time. Lake County officials are taking the possibility of the lake being contaminated very seriously. Clear Lake is the jewel of Lake County and it must be protected for future generations.
