Boat Inspections to Begin at Lake Granby in Colorado
August 14, 2008
On
Friday, August 15, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW), in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, will begin boat inspections for weekend boaters at Lake Granby in Grand County.
Inspections will be conducted randomly at the Stillwater and Sunset Point boat ramps. Inspectors will be present Friday through Sunday from sunrise to sunset. The Arapaho Bay boat ramp will be closed during this time.
Currently, boat inspections will be implemented on weekends, when the reservoir typically sees 95 percent of its recreation traffic. There will be no inspections Monday through Thursday or during the nighttime hours. Granby will remain open and all boat ramps will be accessible during this time. Boaters are expected to follow the Clean, Drain and Dry protocol when inspections are not available.
“Right now, our goal is to address the peak traffic periods on the lake,” said Elizabeth Brown, DOW Invasive Species Coordinator. “We plan to expand the inspection efforts as additional staffing and resources become available.”
Boaters should make sure their vessels are clean and dry before entering and when leaving the reservoir. This will help to insure that inspection procedures run smoothly and that no mussels or larvae are transported to another body of water. Vessels identified as “at risk” for spreading mussels or other aquatic nuisance species, will be cleaned and decontaminated at an on-site hot-water wash station.
Lake Granby is the largest reservoir in the Colorado-Big Thompson Project (C-BT). The DOW is working with the other managing agencies to develop an appropriate response plan for each of the Colorado-Big Thompson reservoirs.
Boaters are reminded to observe the following steps in order to prevent the spread of zebra and quagga mussels:
CLEAN: Remove all plants, animals, mud; and thoroughly wash everything, including all crevices and other hidden areas.
DRAIN: Eliminate all water before leaving the area, including live wells, bait containers, ballast and engine cooling water.
DRY: Allow sufficient time for your boat and other equipment to completely dry before launching in other waters.
For more information about zebra and quagga mussels visit: www.wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/InvasiveSpecies/ZebraandQuaggaMussels.htm
The Colorado Division of Wildlife is the state agency responsible for managing wildlife and its habitat, as well as providing wildlife related recreation. The Division is funded through hunting and fishing license fees, federal grants and Colorado Lottery proceeds through Great Outdoors Colorado.
Caring for the land and serving people. The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
For more information from the U.S. Forest Service, Contact: John Bustos 970-295-6674
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Boaters Should “Clean, Drain and Dry” for Holiday Weekend; Watercraft Checkpoint on I-5 North Near Redding
May 20, 2008
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) advises boaters to clean, drain and dry vessels to avoid being turned away from lakes and reservoirs. The department will conduct mandatory boat inspections along Interstate 5 near Redding May 22 -23, from 2-8 p.m. each day, and many local waterways plan their own vessel inspections in advance of Memorial Day weekend.
“Quagga and Zebra mussels pose a serious threat to our waters and fisheries, and they can severely damage boats,” said DFG Director Donald Koch. “Boaters should be prepared for inspections throughout the state that will help ensure California’s water bodies remain mussel-free.”
In addition to being sure to clean, drain and dry watercraft, DFG urges boaters to plan for possible launch restrictions and inspections by calling water bodies before leaving home. Programs and requirements vary and can change rapidly.
At the DFG checkpoint on I-5, vehicles trailering watercraft will be directed to exit at the California Highway Patrol Cottonwood Inspection Facility (truck scales) in Tehama County.
Upon entrance to the scales, DFG Game Wardens will ask vessel owners a series of questions about their watercraft. Vessels found to be clean will be released and allowed back onto the Interstate; boaters with suspect vessels will be inspected onsite by trained biologists and specially trained detection dogs. “Dirty” vessels - those that have not been cleaned, drained and dried - could be quarantined.
Mussels pose serious problems for boaters and water enthusiasts. They can:
ruin the engine by blocking the cooling system - causing overheating
increase drag on the bottom of the boat, reducing speed and wasting fuel
jam steering equipment on boats
require scraping and repainting of boat bottoms
colonize all underwater substrates such as boat ramps, docks, lines and other underwater surfaces requiring constant cleaning
To help prevent the spread of the mussels, boaters should inspect all exposed surfaces, wash boat hulls thoroughly, remove all plants from boat and trailer, drain all water, including lower outboard units, clean and dry livewells and bait buckets and dispose baitfish in the trash. Watercraft should be dried for at least five days, between launches in different fresh bodies of water. These steps are designed to thwart spread of the invasive mussels, safeguard boats and preserve high quality fisheries.
California law makes it illegal to possess or transport Quagga or Zebra mussels and gives DFG authority to stop, detain, search and quarantine boats suspected or determined to be contaminated with mussels.
Zebra mussels inhabit water depths from four to 180 feet, while Quagga can reach depths more than 400 feet. Both mollusks can attach to and damage boat trailers, cooling systems, boat hulls and steering equipment. Mussels attached to watercraft or trailers can be transported and spread to other water bodies. Water in boat engines, bilges, live wells and buckets can carry mussel larvae (called veligers) to other water bodies as well.
Quagga mussels were first detected in the Colorado River system in January 2007 and were later found in San Diego and Riverside counties by state and local water agencies. Zebra mussels were discovered in San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County in January 2008.
A multi-agency taskforce that includes DFG, the Department of Water Resources, the Department of Boating and Waterways, and California State Parks is currently working to determine the extent of the Quagga and Zebra mussel threat and to educate watercraft users. As part of the public education effort, the state has facilitated nearly a dozen Quagga/Zebra inspection and decontamination trainings for more than 350 individuals in San Diego, Redding, Fresno, Stockton, Monterey, Los Alamitos, Onatrio, Lake County, Sacramento and Yountville. Additional training sessions are expected in other regions later this year.
A public toll-free number hotline has been established for boaters and anyone involved with activities on lakes and rivers seeking information on the invasive and destructive Quagga mussels at 1-866-440-9530.
For more information on the Quagga/Zebra mussel response, please visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel.
To learn what boaters can do to stem the spread of the invasive Quagga mussel, download http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentVersionID=5507 (PDF)
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