Agencies ask boaters to “clean, drain and dry”
For Independence Day Weekend to deter spread of invasive mussels

The threat of potential invasion of Quagga and Zebra mussels and other aquatic species into the water of Nacimiento and San Antonio reservoirs is causing Monterey County officials to urge boaters to clean, drain and dry their boats, clothing and fishing gear used at other lakes, particularly from out of state or Southern California.

“Quagga and Zebra mussels pose a threat to our waters and fisheries,” said Dave Hart, chairman of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors. “The spread of these mussels threatens water delivery systems, hydroelectric facilities, agriculture, recreational boating and fishing and the environment in general.

“We’re not sounding the alarm yet, but we are concerned,” said Curtis Weeks, general manager of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, which owns and operates Nacimiento Dam and Reservoir.

Monterey county agencies are distributing brochures and other information to boating communities and homeowners associations in the Nacimiento and San Antonio areas.

“We have a critical problem in inspecting and controlling visitors to the lakes because we have so many privately owned docks and ramps,” Weeks noted. “We have to rely on those property owners, their guests and other visitors to the lakes to inspect their own property to ensure invasive aquatic species don’t invade our precious water supply.”

For more than 50 years, Nacimiento and San Antonio reservoirs have provided residential, agricultural and industrial water supply as well as recreational benefits. The lakes attract thousands of boaters, swimmers and fishermen every year. It has been a valuable investment that needs to be protected.

“We’re asking anyone, before they visit Nacimiento and San Antonio reservoirs, to take a few moments to learn about how they can prevent an invasion of Quagga and Zebra mussels to these valuable resources,” Weeks said. “If we’re all vigilant, we can stop these invasive aquatic species from spreading to our reservoirs.”

Information can be obtained by visiting www.mcwra.co.monterey.ca.us , or by calling the public toll-free number hotline at 1-866-440-9530.

Quagga and Zebra mussels can cause severe problems for boaters and water enthusiasts. They can:

• Ruin the engine by blocking the cooling system – causing overheating
• Increase drag on the bottom of the boat, reducing speed and wasting fuel
• Jam steering equipment on boats
• Require scraping and repainting of boat bottoms
• Colonize all underwater substrates such as boat ramps, docks, lines and other underwater surfaces requiring constant cleaning.

To help prevent the spread of these mussels, boaters should inspect all exposed surfaces, wash boat hulls thoroughly, remove all plants from boat and trailer, drain all water, including lower outboard units, clean and dry live wells and bait buckets and dispose baitfish in the trash. Watercraft should be dried for at least five days between launches in different fresh bodies of water.

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