A taskforce has asked marina owners and watercraft refueling stations to encourage patrons to practice healthy boating practices.
In a letter to 117 business owners, the California Quagga/Zebra mussels taskforce -- comprised of nearly a dozen state and federal agencies -- warns that Quagga and Zebra mussels pose a very large threat to state waterways.
The first line of defense is prevention, the taskforce advised.
The taskforce includew California departments of Fish and Game, Water Resources, Parks and Recreation, Boating and Waterways, and Food and Agriculture. Federal agencies include Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.
Boater awareness and action are key to preventing spread of the mussels, which can become attached to boats and other equipment, according to Susan Ellis, Department of Fish and Game's statewide coordinator of invasive species.
Quagga and Zebra mussels should be kept from being moved to other state waterways, the taskforce emphasized.
Boaters are being asked to inspect all exposed surfaces, wash boat hulls thoroughly, remove all plants from the boat and trailer, clean and dry live-wells and bait buckets, dispose of baitfish in the trash and drain all water, including that in lower outboard units.
Watercraft also should be kept dry for at least five days in warm weather and up to 30 days in cool weather between launches in different bodies of fresh water.
This holiday weekend, boaters may be subject to boat inspections by a number of natural resources agencies.
Boat owners who fail to follow the rules on inspections will be turned away.
If the vessel carries the non-native aquatic mollusks, the owners could have their vessel quarantined.
Quagga and Zebra mussels wreak havoc on the environment by disrupting the natural food chain and releasing toxins that affect other aquatic species. The mussels frequently settle in massive colonies that can block water intake and threaten municipal water supplies, agricultural irrigation and power plant operations.
The taskforce hopes to raise public awareness of the damages caused by the mussels.
For more details, visit www.resources.ca.gov/quagga/docs/QUAGGA_GUIDEBOOK.pdf.
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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