Boat U.S. - January 2009 - (Page 24)

be denied entry for the day, or required to be decontaminated with hot water. Restricting Access “If we don’t control the quaggas, it’ll be a disaster” At least seven counties or water districts have announced plans to restrict access to lakes or reservoirs, ranging from closures to mandatory inspection. Some have announced they will turn away boats from infested counties in the southern part of the state, or out-of-state boats regardless of their condition. Inspection program fees range from $7 a day to $50 for a season. At least one district is requiring a 10-day quarantine after inspection and decontamination before admitting a boat into the lake. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency last September announced a switch to mandatory inspections before launching a boat, but hasn’t indicated what hours the inspectors will keep at Lake Tahoe’s many ramps, or how it will pay for the program, estimated to cost approximately $800,000 next year. The cost would likely fall to boaters through an inspection fee at the launch ramp. Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District has restricted access to Ruth Lake, a popular recreation area west of Redding, closing half the launch ramps and allowing only boats registered in the local area to launch. An inspection program under development may reopen Ruth Lake to out-ofcounty boats in the future. The varied responses to the quagga mussel threat stem from the nature of California’s water system, says Dave Breninger, general manager of the Placer County Water Agency. “It’s a home grown system, with local municipalities owning many reservoirs developed to meet local needs,” says Breninger. “The musBoatU.S. Magazine January 2009 sels have invaded, and everyone has to make up their own mind what to do about it.” Some think they can close their lakes off entirely and avoid the problem, some are doing inspection programs. Others realize that the reservoirs are connected by pipes and aqueducts; water moves hundreds of miles from one basin to the other. At any one point in the system, you could end up with an infestation. “You could be doing a good job, inspecting boats and such, but the water still changes location, and carries mussels with it. The complexities are fairly daunting.” Breninger looks at the situation, not only as a senior water manager, but also as a recreational boater. He serves as a vice president of the Recreational Boaters of California, a statewide boaters’ lobbying group. “I think California boaters have always had a clean boating ethic,” he says. “The boaters didn’t cause the problem, and neither did the waterway managers. But boaters have to come up with the dollars for the cleanup and inspection program.” A better solution would be a reliable way to decontaminate boats quickly at the ramp just prior to launch. The currently accepted method is to use scalding-hot water of at least 140 degrees, but few ramps have facilities capable of delivering large volumes of hot water. A chemical alternative, such as a saltwater bath, that would kill mussels without harming native species, would be better still. But until such a silver bullet is found, boaters will be stuck waiting in line for inspectors. “We’re asking boaters to be patient with us,” says Sandoval. “We want to be able to keep these waterways open for boating.”

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BoatU.S. - January 2009 Contents At The Helm Reader Forum BoatU.S. Reports Brokerage Boats Invasion Of The Access Snatchers Don’t Move A Mussel Tech Connection BoatsGearWheels A Defect And Its Aftermath Obama Onboard? Fast-Water Fly-Fishing How I Got That Shot A Loop Through The Heartland Why Boats Sink At The Dock Install Your Own Trim Tabs BoatU.S. Exchange At Your Service/Mbr. Benefits

Boat U.S. - January 2009

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