Stricter rules for Lake Tahoe boaters
By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal
More than a decade after Lake Tahoe regulators banned polluting two-stroke Jet Skis and two years after boat inspections commenced to guard Tahoe from invading plants and animals, officials are poised to take the next step to protect the lake from boating impacts.
Last week, governors of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency took on a long-discussed “blue boating” program designed to offset the environmental effects of motorboats cruising the famous Sierra lake.
The Blue Boating Program on Lake Tahoe begins in April. Photo/Kathryn Reed
The program is designed to protect Tahoe from various problems associated with boating, including engine emissions and noise, dirty bilges and sewage discharge.
Mandatory Boat Wash’s are the only way to prevent infestation.
When the mussels are young they are actually considered plankton and almost microscopic in size. There are only two things that can kill them – heat and chemicals. The one thing that ALL inspection programs are missing is the washing of boats, flushing of the motors, bilges, and fish wells with 140 + degree water. If the mussels are sucked into a boat engine and the engine is flushed with water less than 140 degrees in temperature the mussels can live indefinitely. The next time the boat is launched, inspected or not, when the motor is started it will push the baby mussels out the exhaust system and into the new body of water. The same is true with fish wells and bilges, the mussels can live indefinitely and be pushed into the next body of water by a bilge pump.
On January 6, 2007 it was discovered that Lake Mead in Las Vegas Nevada (Hoover Dam) had been infected with Quagga mussels. Because of the warm water and calcium content of the water, the Quagga mussels have been reproducing at almost six times more than their normal rate (240,000 per year) as well as living deeper than normally seen (over 100’). The entire bottom of the lake has been covered with the razor sharp mussels making it dangerous and difficult for workers to remove them from docks and other infrastructure. There has been a population explosion of Quagga Mussels at Lake Mead, so much that the mussels are clinging to the dock and buoys and sinking them. It is estimated that the brown canyon walls under the surface of the water that were mussel free two years ago now have approximately 55,000 Quagga Mussels per square meter. They have covered everything from beer cans to a B-29 bomber that crashed in the lake years ago. Currently Hoover Dam is having problems with the Quagga Mussel’s clogging the cooling ducts for the turbines. They have invested approximately $20 Million dollars on a chemical system and will have to send divers down periodically to kill the mussels and scrape them off the infrastructure.
boat motors run an average 165-195 degrees oporating tempature. they wouldnt make it through the injestion prossess in the first place!
Anyone can see they connection of controlling the problem here but how many launches have the hot steam machines to do this ? Who’s going to pay for that?How much?
No matter what, I still think in the long run that with the way people are in this country(no patience) this will have a economy impact on the lake Tahoe area regardless.
A lot my second home owners don’t even bother to bring their boats anymore for the 4th July or they don’t come here period.They told me they won’t pay for this ,said this should be included when they register their boats with the state.
They see it as another Tahoe Gouge!