As Californians gear up for another beautiful summer full of outdoors recreation, boaters are being asked to remember the importance of cleaning, draining and drying their watercraft to combat the spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels.
Quagga and zebra mussels are invasive freshwater mussels native to Europe and Asia. They multiply quickly, alter water quality and the aquatic food web, and ultimately impact native and sport fish communities. These mussels spread from one waterbody to another by attaching to watercraft, equipment and nearly anything that has been in an infested waterbody.
Invisible to the naked eye, microscopic juveniles are spread from infested waterbodies by water that is entrapped in boat engines, ballasts, bilges, live-wells and buckets. Quagga mussels have infested 34 waters in Southern California and zebra mussels have infested two waters in San Benito County, 13 of which are boatable by the public.
To prevent the spread of these mussels and other aquatic invasive species, people launching vessels at any waterbody are subject to watercraft inspections and should clean, drain and dry their motorized and non-motorized boats, including personal watercraft and any equipment that contacts the water, before and after use.
“The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) operates border protection stations that inspect trailered watercraft entering the state,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Invasive Species Program Manager Martha Volkoff. “Early this year, the stations marked their two-millionth watercraft inspected, a milestone that represents a monumental contribution in preventing further introductions of mussels into the state. In addition to the border protection stations, water managers throughout the state continue to implement inspections at their waterbodies. Memorial Day is a great opportunity to spread the word to boaters about the simple actions they should take in preparation for their next outing.”
“Boaters need to conduct
