TRPA tweaks summer boating program

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Governing Board approved an annual update to the Aquatic Invasive Species Watercraft Inspection Program on Wednesday.

The approval keeps nearly all boater fees the same and is designed to improve efficiency of service at watercraft inspection stations around the Lake Tahoe Basin in an effort to keep the $1.4 million inspection program in the black.

The jointly-managed inspection program annually certifies more than 15,000 motorized watercraft as being free of invasive species before launching into Lake Tahoe to help prevent the introduction of non-native species that could devastate Lake Tahoe’s fragile ecosystem and native fisheries and impact boats and recreation areas.

The updates maintain hours of operation during the busiest boat inspection times at the five roadside inspection stations around the Tahoe region. Inspection stations in Meyers, at Spooner Summit and Alpine Meadows will begin closing at 5:30pm Sunday-Wednesday this summer, but close at 8pm Thursday-Saturday.

Homewood and Northstar inspection stations will be open Thursday through Sunday and will operate from 8am-5:30pm

For additional information, call Jeff Cowen at (775) 589l5278 or email jcowen@trpa.org.