LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward with a proposed ordinance and research into the prevention of invasive species in Clear Lake.
Water Resources Director Scott De Leon and retired Department of Fish and Game biologist Jim Steele, presented a proposed ordinance designed to prevent invasive species from being introduced into Clear Lake.
The BOS voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance with a final vote to occur on April 26.
The ordinance would amend sections of the Lake County Code establishing a fee-based inspection program for all water vessels launched in the county. It would make it illegal to launch or attempt to launch a water vessel that has not been inspected in a water body in the unincorporated areas of Lake County.
An attempted launch would be an effort to launch a water vessel within 150 feet of a water body and on a public launch ramp or the directing of a water vessel to within 50 feet of a water body within the county.
Any violator of the ordinance faces up to a $1,000 fine with the possibility of six months in the county jail or both.
A water vessel that is launched illegally or attempted to be launched illegally could be impounded if a law enforcement officer determines circumstances warrant the action.
An original inspection ordinance was passed by the BOS in January.
Steele and De Leon asked the BOS for help in lobbying the state for amendments to the state Fish and Game Code and for requesting funding support for invasive species information to be included with state boat registrations.
Steele said he had been researching ways to prevent invasive species, such as quagga mussels, from attaching to boats at Lake Mead in Nevada.
One suggested way of stopping vessels from introducing invasive species into Clear Lake and other water bodies was to utilize a dip system. De Leon said a boat dip is immersing a water vessel into a brine that would kill the invasive species before launching the boat into a water body. A second dip into water prior to launch would prevent the brine from getting into the water body.
Steele and De Leon asked the BOS to send letters regarding their plans to local and state entities to gather support for research into prevention of the spread of invasive species in California water bodies. The BOS voted unanimously to draft and send out letters in support of their research.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14.
