BY KELSEY LANPHEAR
As summer winds down, Lake Tahoe residents remember how they spent their summer by asking simple questions: How many times did I swim in the lake? Did I go sailing? Did I enjoy the beach at Sand Harbor? But what if those questions were meaningless because the lake was overrun by algae or the beaches were filled with so many mussels it was impossible to walk? It is very important for Lake Tahoe residents and visitors to have mandatory boat inspections to control the introduction of invasive species, such as the zebra and quagga mussels, into Lake Tahoe. Zebra and quagga mussels are invertebrate invasive species that have drastic consequences. They have not been found in Lake Tahoe yet, but if they were introduced it would be devastating for the lake.
According to the Lake Tahoe Region Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan for California and Nevada, the introduction of aquatic species would have an economic impact of $22.4 million dollars per year, with the largest impacts on tourism and property values. This economic impact would mostly harm taxpayers because governments would have to raise taxes to clean out the waterways and make sure the lake remains safe for visitors and residents.
Introduction of the mussels can happen through boats, bait buckets, and even scuba equipment. Once introduced they can invade an area very quickly because of high reproduction rates and their ability to stick to practically any surface, making it very hard to remove them. The biggest step in controlling the introduction of zebra and quagga mussels is continuation of watercraft inspections; these inspections are voluntary but they must become mandatory (which the Truckee River Watershed council is hoping to implement for next summer). The main problem with inspections is funding: Currently a sticker showing your vessel is decontaminated is around $30, but without outside funding they would cost around $100. Some residents and visitors believe that these fees are too high and that they shouldn’t be forced to pay. However, because of the predicted economic impacts on tourism and property values it is in the best interest of everyone to pay a little now rather than when introduction does occur and we have to pay costly prices to stop the degradation of the lake.
The end of summer is here but to continue our enjoyment of our beautiful Lake Tahoe every year it is very important to continue inspecting boats and making this a mandatory action for all.
