Boat inspections mandatory starting April 8
By Terry Knight
Article Last Updated: 03/28/2008 02:30:15 PM PDT

http://www.record-bee.com/sports/ci_8732192


Clear Lake, with its 44,000 surface acres, will be the first major body of water in Northern California to require all boats entering Lake County to undergo a mandatory inspection for quagga and zebra mussels.

On Tuesday, the Lake County Board of Supervisors passed an interim urgency ordinance establishing the inspection and decontamination program. The program starts April 8.

According to Melissa Fulton, chief executive officer of the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce and Quagga Mussel Task Force member, the inspection and decontamination program is designed to be "boater friendly" and will be easy for the fishermen and boaters to comply with.

"We want to make it perfectly clear that we are not closing the lake and that we welcome fishermen and other boaters to Lake County. We also want to keep Clear Lake clean of invasive species such as the quagga and zebra mussels," Fulton said. "Hopefully this program will accomplish both."

According to Fulton, the way the program will work is that a boater entering the county will be directed to a boat inspection station where the boat will be inspected by a certified inspector. If the boat is determined to be clean of mussels and their lava (called veligers), the

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
operator will be given a sticker that he or she must place on the boat. The sticker and inspection is free from April 8 through June 30. After June 30, there will be a small fee for the inspection and sticker. The stickers are valid until Jan. 1, 2009. If the boat fails to pass inspection, it will be directed to one of the four decontamination stations located around the county. The decontamination process includes washing the boat, its bilge, livewells and trailer with water that's at least 140 degrees.
Fulton said signs on the highways leading into the county would issue instructions so that boaters can comply with the ordinance. These instructions include a radio station you can tune to or a telephone number to call, both of which will direct the boater to the nearest inspection station. Initially the inspection stations will be located at the Clearlake Oaks Fire Station, Upper Lake Fire Station and the Konocti Vista Casino and Marina, located on Soda Bay Road just south of Lakeport. Fulton said other inspection stations will be added in the near future.

Lake County residents who leave their boats full time in the county can get a sticker without being inspected. All they have to do is contact the Clearlake Chamber of Commerce (944-3600), the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce (263-5092) or the Lake County Visitor Center (274-5652) and complete an Affidavit of Compliance to receive a free sticker. That program is good until June 30. If your boat leaves the county, it may be inspected upon returning to the county.

Actually, the ordinance says all water vessels will be inspected and that includes boats, boat trailers, kayaks, rafts, jet skis, inflatable rafts or any other device capable of being introduced into a body of water in Lake County.

The ordinance also states it's illegal to dispose of any live bait into the lake, including live minnows, worms or other live bait. According to Fulton, fishermen can still use live minnows and other live bait but they can't be dumped into the lake after fishing. The same applies to the water in a minnow bucket. It must be disposed of away from the lake or storm drains that empty into the lake.

The sheriff's boat patrol will be looking for boats and other watercraft without stickers and the fine for those cited for not complying with the ordinance will be $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and not less than $500 for a third offense.

Fulton also said she is contacting bass tournament directors to inform them of the recently passed ordinance so they can pass the information on to their members.

"Clean and dry is what we want in regards to boats entering the county and that includes bilges and livewells as well as the boat motor itself," Fulton said. "We ask for patience and cooperation from boaters to keep our beautiful waters in Lake County free of the invasive mussels."