01-19-2008, 02:29 AM
[center][font "Pristina"][green][size 4]From today's OC Register[/size][/green][/font][/center]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Imagine owning a bass boat and not being able to launch it at Lake Casitas, one of the premier bass fisheries in the world.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Such a prospect is what prompted about 80 people, many of them bass anglers, to crowd into the Casitas Municipal Water District's board meeting last week.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Banning outside boats is an idea being floated by the board as a means to prevent the introduction of the invasive and destructive quagga mussels into Casitas.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Quagga mussels multiply rapidly and can affect water quality, destroy a lake's ecosystem and cause damage to pipes, intake structures and boat motors.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]They were found in Lake Mead a year ago and have since been discovered in the Colorado River Aqueduct system and lakes Havasu, Skinner, Mathews, San Vicente, Dixon, Lower Otay, Murray and Miramar.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Wednesday, the Department of Fish and Game confirmed the state's first infestation of zebra mussels, a closely related mollusk that is also destructive. An angler fishing in San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County landed a clump of the mussels. [/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]As news of the invasion spreads, more and more water districts and lake recreation areas throughout Southern California are taking measures to educate the public, and are inspecting boats to ensure a potential aquatic hitchhiker isn't about to be released into the water.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Currently at Lake Casitas, anglers bringing their boats are required to fill out a questionnaire under the penalty of perjury, stating where the boat has been used in the past 30 days. If they were used on lakes that have been infested, they are not allowed in.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]"We've turned away about six boats since implementing the system a month ago," said Ron Merckling, CMWD spokesman. "If it appears suspicious, we won't let them come in."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Boats are also inspected to make sure the livewell and bilge are "clean and dry," which is a slogan that you'll be hearing a lot in the coming months.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]DFG biologist Mike Giusti, speaking at the board meeting, said all the infested waters of Riverside and San Diego counties were connected to the infested aqueduct system and that banning boats at Casitas, which isn't part of the aqueduct, is "unwarranted with the current information we have."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]"They're seriously considering it," Giusti said Wednesday. "What they ultimately decide, I don't know."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]The board intends to meet Wednesday to determine the date, time and place for a special meeting about the quagga mussels, Merckling said. [/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Staff is to present their findings about the impacts of banning outside boats and alternative solutions, such as installing boat-washing stations.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]About 26,000 outside boats are launched at Casitas annually. Banning those would mean $600,000 in lost revenue under its $3 million budget, Merckling said. Nearby tackle shops, restaurants and hotels would also be financially impacted.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Ray Leyerly of Laguna Niguel is a tournament director for the California Bass Federation. He is also a member of the Lake Casitas Bass Fishing Committee, which originally formed to help improve the fishery but is now working to educate anglers about the quagga mussel. [/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]"I'm happy they're trying to watch this and do something about it, but the final solution is pretty scary," Leyerly said. "If their final solution comes down to closing the lake to any boats, that gives precedents to the other lakes contemplating (doing the same thing)."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Lakes Wohlford and Cuyamaca are already banning private boats. [/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]In an effort to educate and prevent more boat bans, the California Bass Federation plans to distribute 10,000 stickers with the "clean and dry" message to tackle shops and boat dealers.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]"There are pleasant boats that go out, too, and we're out to educate everybody as quickly as we can," Leyerly said.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]The DFG has established a quagga/zebra mussel toll-free hotline (866-440-9530) to answer questions from the public and is conducting trainings around the state on how to inspect boats for the mussels.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]A message on the Lake Casitas website states, "The future of boating at Lake Casitas depends on your cooperation."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Actually, the future of boating on all California lakes depends on your cooperation. [/size][/green][/font]
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[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Imagine owning a bass boat and not being able to launch it at Lake Casitas, one of the premier bass fisheries in the world.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Such a prospect is what prompted about 80 people, many of them bass anglers, to crowd into the Casitas Municipal Water District's board meeting last week.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Banning outside boats is an idea being floated by the board as a means to prevent the introduction of the invasive and destructive quagga mussels into Casitas.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Quagga mussels multiply rapidly and can affect water quality, destroy a lake's ecosystem and cause damage to pipes, intake structures and boat motors.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]They were found in Lake Mead a year ago and have since been discovered in the Colorado River Aqueduct system and lakes Havasu, Skinner, Mathews, San Vicente, Dixon, Lower Otay, Murray and Miramar.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Wednesday, the Department of Fish and Game confirmed the state's first infestation of zebra mussels, a closely related mollusk that is also destructive. An angler fishing in San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County landed a clump of the mussels. [/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]As news of the invasion spreads, more and more water districts and lake recreation areas throughout Southern California are taking measures to educate the public, and are inspecting boats to ensure a potential aquatic hitchhiker isn't about to be released into the water.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Currently at Lake Casitas, anglers bringing their boats are required to fill out a questionnaire under the penalty of perjury, stating where the boat has been used in the past 30 days. If they were used on lakes that have been infested, they are not allowed in.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]"We've turned away about six boats since implementing the system a month ago," said Ron Merckling, CMWD spokesman. "If it appears suspicious, we won't let them come in."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Boats are also inspected to make sure the livewell and bilge are "clean and dry," which is a slogan that you'll be hearing a lot in the coming months.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]DFG biologist Mike Giusti, speaking at the board meeting, said all the infested waters of Riverside and San Diego counties were connected to the infested aqueduct system and that banning boats at Casitas, which isn't part of the aqueduct, is "unwarranted with the current information we have."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]"They're seriously considering it," Giusti said Wednesday. "What they ultimately decide, I don't know."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]The board intends to meet Wednesday to determine the date, time and place for a special meeting about the quagga mussels, Merckling said. [/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Staff is to present their findings about the impacts of banning outside boats and alternative solutions, such as installing boat-washing stations.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]About 26,000 outside boats are launched at Casitas annually. Banning those would mean $600,000 in lost revenue under its $3 million budget, Merckling said. Nearby tackle shops, restaurants and hotels would also be financially impacted.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Ray Leyerly of Laguna Niguel is a tournament director for the California Bass Federation. He is also a member of the Lake Casitas Bass Fishing Committee, which originally formed to help improve the fishery but is now working to educate anglers about the quagga mussel. [/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]"I'm happy they're trying to watch this and do something about it, but the final solution is pretty scary," Leyerly said. "If their final solution comes down to closing the lake to any boats, that gives precedents to the other lakes contemplating (doing the same thing)."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Lakes Wohlford and Cuyamaca are already banning private boats. [/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]In an effort to educate and prevent more boat bans, the California Bass Federation plans to distribute 10,000 stickers with the "clean and dry" message to tackle shops and boat dealers.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]"There are pleasant boats that go out, too, and we're out to educate everybody as quickly as we can," Leyerly said.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]The DFG has established a quagga/zebra mussel toll-free hotline (866-440-9530) to answer questions from the public and is conducting trainings around the state on how to inspect boats for the mussels.[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]A message on the Lake Casitas website states, "The future of boating at Lake Casitas depends on your cooperation."[/size][/green][/font]
[font "Pristina"][green][size 4]Actually, the future of boating on all California lakes depends on your cooperation. [/size][/green][/font]
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