While the League considers the establishment of TRPA’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program an important step in the right direction, we are concerned that the program is not stringent enough and will be inadequate at preventing the spread of the Quagga and Zebra Mussel to the Lake.
Our recommendations to make the program more effective include, at a minimum:
- All watercraft and accessories entering Lake Tahoe must be required to undergo inspection. At present, there are simply not enough inspectors to accomplish this goal. Many more inspectors need to be hired and trained so that each and every launch area is staffed during hours of operation.
- There must be sufficient enforcement support and decontamination crews available to efficiently resolve any issues or threats.
- If inspectors are not present at an access point to the Lake, boat launching activity needs to be redirected to a facility where inspections are being conducted.
- Boat washing stations, either on-site or off-site, need to be made widely available to the public, as well as lists, directions, and maps to these stations. Ideally, the water temperature at all of these stations would need to be at least 140°F or provide proper treatment solutions of potassium chloride or chlorine in order to effectively eradicate the invasive mussels.
- Lastly, the League recommends that the TRPA fully explore new funding streams to keep this program functioning for years to come as the threat will only increase as more lakes in both California and Nevada become infected.
To achieve maximum protection from this emergency threat, everyone needs to do the following:
- Avoid bringing any watercraft, engine, or any materials that have been in any other body of water. Larval and adult forms of the quagga and zebra can affix to a wide variety of substances including metal, wood, fiberglass, plastic, neoprene, clothing, and even animals. These mussels can survive for up to 30 days on dry surfaces and much longer in any standing water.
- Dedicate your watercraft and accessories exclusively to Tahoe or rent a watercraft while at Tahoe.
While these recommendations will increase short-term costs for the Aquatic Invasive Species Program, in the long-run a successful prevention program will save the tens of millions of dollars on an annual basis that would have to be spent on a treatment for these mussels. All it takes is one infested boat to initiate an irreversible infestation.
These mussels can have serious and significant ecological, economic, and recreational impact, from congregating on the engines and hulls of marine vessels, creating costly maintenance havoc, clogging water intakes and pumps and requiring expensive secondary systems to be built, fostering the growth of noxious algae and a bioaccumulation of toxins, disrupting and potentially permanently interrupting native food webs, and transforming pristine beaches into a maze of jagged shells and contributing an odiferous stench when they decompose.
We may be standing on a precipitous ledge to prevent a potential disaster and need to do more now without hesitation.
Click here to go to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District website which which offers tips on how to ensure your boat is properly cleaned and what to do if you suspect you may have discovered a mussel.
