As highly-invasive golden mussels spread across California waterways, officials are urging boaters to take thorough precautions to avoid introducing the species to unaffected waters over the busy Labor Day weekend. It’s also a good idea to contact the body of water you plan to visit to get the latest information before heading out there, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife…

Golden mussels were most recently disc overed in California during boat inspections at Folsom Lake in Butte County and on a boat headed for Lake Tahoe in May. That was way too close of a call for the advocates dedicated to preserving Lake Tahoe’s pristine blue waters, according to Laura Patten, natural resourcfe director at Keep Tahoe Blue…

“You can’t be too careful over busy weekends like Labor Day,” (Patten) said. “It’s up to all of us to prevent golden mussels from entering the lake. Once they’re in we can’t get them out.”

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