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Quagga and Zebra Mussel Inspection Protocals


2006Maliblue

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Not sure how many of you have to deal with this in your area but here in Santa Clara County in California we have a strict program we have to go through with some rules that aren't even published on the Counties website so we made a page that explains exactly what they're doing and what there looking for so if you boat here you won't be caught off guard and you'll pass inspection every time with flying colors.

www.26states30lakes.com/quagga1

Also in planning our big cross country trip we have found that every state is combating this issue differently. We have already purchased Mussel stickers for Wyoming and Idaho.

What does your state do for inspections? Any heads up would be greatly appreciatted as we want to make sure we launch with flying colors at all of your lakes too! I attached photos of my current Mussel stickers for Wyoming and Idaho, probably the only boat in Cali with these stickers on the side right now! ( I lied I can't get the pictures to upload? It's telling me "You are not allowed to use that image extension on this board." ? Not sure what I'm doing wrong but I'll figure it out one of these days! )

P.S. If you boat in Santa Clara County you'll want to make sure you read all the tips as there are some rules that if not followed will get your boat quarinteneed for 30 days just by answering a question on the questionaire incorrectly even if your boat is clean, drained and dry!

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I know that in Northern Nevada, Reno / Tahoe, their is only one obvious lake that is really doing any kind of inspection and that is Tahoe. I have not been up there since they started but had heard that it will cost $55.00 for the inspection, not including gate entrance fee's. I attached two links one about the inspection process the other is about entrance fees. They don't agree on the cost of the inspection fee but if your planning on hitting Tahoe make sure you bring some serious cash just to launch.

Boca is free to launch and has no inspection and is right off of I80 just outside of Truckee towards Reno. I don't think you are going to the above lakes but thought I would throw the info up just in case.

http://www.tahoercd.org/index.php/boat/marinas

http://www.boattahoe.com/boat-launches.htm

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That invasive species sticker is a joke. They inspect just about anything to make sure something isn't weeds stuck in your trailer or funk growing on the hull. But they don't have a clue that there is 3 or 4 ballast tanks full of water in the boat. :crazy:

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That invasive species sticker is a joke. They inspect just about anything to make sure something isn't weeds stuck in your trailer or funk growing on the hull. But they don't have a clue that there is 3 or 4 ballast tanks full of water in the boat. :crazy:

Go to Tahoe, they know about the ballast tanks and last year they where charging an extra fee if you had any.

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Wow to launch there would be $75 for my boat just for the inspection fee! It doesn't say what they do for there inspection process though? I'm really curious as to what they do for that $75 and what other lakes are doing?

I've been told some lakes just require you to fill out a self inspection sheet saying you looked the vessel over yourself and everything was good. And some states just charge an invasive species fee but don't actually inspect anything they just use it as an excuse to collect fees.

What do they do at the lakes everybody on here boats at?

By the way NVBoarder, I took the online test for Utah and don't have to do any inspections in Utah I just have to place my certificate on the Dash when I boat at Powell! lol We may hit Mead on the way home but not on the way because of all the problems assciotted with everyones fear of Powell and Mussels!

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Funny thing in Santa Clara County if you have hard ballast tanks and you put them on empty and nothing comes out your good to launch but if you have bladders or fat sacs you fail automaticcaly because they can pick them up and feel theres a little water in them still. lol They think a hard tank drains 100%

Edited by 2006Maliblue
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Yes "Quarantined for 30 days" means they put you on a list saying your not allowed to boat in Santa Clara County for 30 days allowing sufficent time for any Mussels or Invasive species in or on your boat to die. Here is the kicker though. Once you fail because you mistakenly, and honestly filled out the form you can go to Mead launch and play with all the little Mussels and then come back 30 days later and launch providing you don't tell them you launched there! This is one of the stupidest rules they have. If they where truley serious about stopping the Mussels they would make you come back with a dry boat then put a Red Band or something similar on your boat that would break if you launched anywhere else and quaratine you for just 48 hours as Mussels will die if there out of the water and not in a moist enviroment for 24 hours!

P.S. The only way they will actually seize your boat and perform a physical Quarintine is if they find live Mussels on your boat. The reason for this is in the State of California its actually a Felony to transport live Mussels!

Edited by 2006Maliblue
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I have failed at Santa Clara three times. My plugs are raised about 3/4 inch off the bottom of hull so getting water out is tough. I have wet vac stuck towels under tanks, you name it. Must be a pocket under center tank because the steep pull up the to the inspection lot always releases the pool and even a thimble full of water is a FAIL!! They check bunks brake lines, it's not like two years ago I would be dripping water give the kid a $20.00 and go launch. Now I turn around go get my gate fee back and head for Pedro.

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"it's not like two years ago I would be dripping water give the kid a $20.00 and go launch"

Now i know why your name is badblake! lol

I've had the same problem with my VLX. Part of the problem is the tanks, both ballast and fuel can collect water on the top that only comes lose after being trailered and bumping around. I have found parking on a steep hill and blowing everything out with a leaf blower is probably the best way to get all the water out. But you still have to get down there with some towels as like you have said the drain plugs are not located in the direct center of the boat and the rear plug is off the bilge a good inch or so! I bet you fail when you open the center hatch! You know if you removed the cover and made it appear as if it was a solid floor with no access they wouldn't look? Just an idea! lol

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martinarcher

Wow....sounds like a good way for them to make a bit more money on boaters. That inspection sounds worse than the overseas customs checks I just went through!

Hard ballasts drain 100% and bladders don't....ROFL.gifROFL.gif That's funny right there. You could leave your hard tanks full and pull the drain hose and pass. Crazy.gif

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I can understand why Michigan doesn't have any inspections your the folks that started this mess! lol

Martin alot of there rules don't make any sense. Like if you have water in your boat while being inspected you have to wait 5 days before being able to launch. They don't require the boat be dry for 5 days just that you wait 5 days! So you could dry your boat 5 minutes before you go to the lake and pass with flying colors and the mussels can live for 24 hours out of water! lol As serious as they say they are there are alot of holes in there inspection program!

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Wow....sounds like a good way for them to make a bit more money on boaters. That inspection sounds worse than the overseas customs checks I just went through!

Hard ballasts drain 100% and bladders don't....ROFL.gifROFL.gif That's funny right there. You could leave your hard tanks full and pull the drain hose and pass. Crazy.gif

Or worse.... you could have water in your bilge & the yahoos here wouldn't have a clue.

Seriously, they wanted to inspect my paddleboard recently. I disputed it because their rules say 14' boats or larger & the paddleboard is not registered as a boat, nor is it 14'. :Doh:

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I can understand why Michigan doesn't have any inspections your the folks that started this mess! lol

Martin alot of there rules don't make any sense. Like if you have water in your boat while being inspected you have to wait 5 days before being able to launch. They don't require the boat be dry for 5 days just that you wait 5 days! So you could dry your boat 5 minutes before you go to the lake and pass with flying colors and the mussels can live for 24 hours out of water! lol As serious as they say they are there are alot of holes in there inspection program!

It's probably because every public lake in Michigan already has them.

Was looking at the link from the OP. Can't believe they won't let you boat if your boat is even registered in another state. I'd be pretty ticked off if I had a boat, went to a public lake, and they wouldn't let me boat (assuming I passed all the other inspection points)

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I'm actually currently working on a proposal for the county that would allow any boater regardless of where they are from or where they are registered to launch. If they are really serious about stopping the spread of mussels high heat water, anything over 140 degrees kills the mussels instantly on contact. By having a boater go through the inspection process and if necassary the decontamination process there is no reason any boater should be denied access to our waters no matter where they are from or registered!

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I'm actually currently working on a proposal for the county that would allow any boater regardless of where they are from or where they are registered to launch. If they are really serious about stopping the spread of mussels high heat water, anything over 140 degrees kills the mussels instantly on contact. By having a boater go through the inspection process and if necassary the decontamination process there is no reason any boater should be denied access to our waters no matter where they are from or registered!

Geez, seems like any kind of infrared heat, or even keeping the boat under a dark colored cover in the sunshine, would clear most any boat in a heartbeat.

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Utah has an inspection process (limited from what I have witnessed and only during certain hours of day) and fill out a certification before launching in your boat. You can avoid those steps at the ramp by taking a on-line certification course and putting that certificate in the dash of your truck.

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The ballast tanks are actually easy and quick to clean. You run a fake a lake to the intake port with hot water and turn the pump on. The water ranges from 140-160 degrees but jabsco pumps are rated for over 180 degrees and sureflo's while only rated to 140 degrees have never had a failure from being decontaminated. This is the only sure fire way to kill them.

Bill as to the dark colored cover, actually mussels are attracted to dark colors, black being there favorite! While out in the middle of the desert you might be able to get the ambient tempature up to 140 degrees, however in most areas you'd be hard pressed to reach those tempatures I would even doubt if you had water in a ballast tank no matter how long you kept your boat covered with a black cover if the tempature would ever reach 140 degrees in the middle of the desert. I could be wrong but i just don't see it happening!

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Bill as to the dark colored cover, actually mussels are attracted to dark colors, black being there favorite! While out in the middle of the desert you might be able to get the ambient tempature up to 140 degrees, however in most areas you'd be hard pressed to reach those tempatures I would even doubt if you had water in a ballast tank no matter how long you kept your boat covered with a black cover if the tempature would ever reach 140 degrees in the middle of the desert. I could be wrong but i just don't see it happening!

That surprises me. I've never measured the temp of the interior, but every time I pull my black cover off the boat, it's about hotter than Hades underneath it. We usually have to let it cool off for a few minutes before we can step on anything. No clue if that temp would make it to the ballast tanks or bilge area.

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I'm actually currently working on a proposal for the county that would allow any boater regardless of where they are from or where they are registered to launch. If they are really serious about stopping the spread of mussels high heat water, anything over 140 degrees kills the mussels instantly on contact. By having a boater go through the inspection process and if necassary the decontamination process there is no reason any boater should be denied access to our waters no matter where they are from or registered!

I've always thought of a big chlorine (bleach) bath (think small swimming pool with a boat ramp into it. back the trailer in, run the engine, fill the ballast and empty. Takes care of the trailer, boat and ballast.

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martinarcher

The ballast tanks are actually easy and quick to clean. You run a fake a lake to the intake port with hot water and turn the pump on. The water ranges from 140-160 degrees but jabsco pumps are rated for over 180 degrees and sureflo's while only rated to 140 degrees have never had a failure from being decontaminated. This is the only sure fire way to kill them.

Bill as to the dark colored cover, actually mussels are attracted to dark colors, black being there favorite! While out in the middle of the desert you might be able to get the ambient tempature up to 140 degrees, however in most areas you'd be hard pressed to reach those tempatures I would even doubt if you had water in a ballast tank no matter how long you kept your boat covered with a black cover if the tempature would ever reach 140 degrees in the middle of the desert. I could be wrong but i just don't see it happening!

Didn't think of that. That would be nice and easy too!

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The ballast tanks are actually easy and quick to clean. You run a fake a lake to the intake port with hot water and turn the pump on. The water ranges from 140-160 degrees but jabsco pumps are rated for over 180 degrees and sureflo's while only rated to 140 degrees have never had a failure from being decontaminated. This is the only sure fire way to kill them.

Bill as to the dark colored cover, actually mussels are attracted to dark colors, black being there favorite! While out in the middle of the desert you might be able to get the ambient tempature up to 140 degrees, however in most areas you'd be hard pressed to reach those tempatures I would even doubt if you had water in a ballast tank no matter how long you kept your boat covered with a black cover if the tempature would ever reach 140 degrees in the middle of the desert. I could be wrong but i just don't see it happening!

Didn't think of that. That would be nice and easy too!

The easier way to kill the mussel, i think, would be to use the KCL solution described in this information bulletin from Utah government wildlife. either pour the solution into the ballast system or pump it into the ballast system.

it is an older document (2007) but informative.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/quagga/pdf/boat_inspection.pdf

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