Smartphones now used to keep invasive species out of Lake Tahoe

Smartphones and invasive species don't normally go together, but this summer in Lake Tahoe, one was used to help keep the other out.

In a new partnership with other agencies around the West, the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program receives real-time updates from other land managers about vessels traveling to Lake Tahoe from waters with a high risk of containing invasive species.

By sharing the data, Tahoe's watercraft inspectors are alerted before the suspect boats show up.

Mandatory inspection of watercraft entering Lake Tahoe has been mandatory since 2009 when the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) started has enforced inspections. This has prevented the introduction of new aquatic invasive species which can damage the lake's ecosystem and degrade recreational experiences for residents and visitors.

“We continue to find several boats each year with various aquatic invasive species, and the watercraft inspection program is poised to discover what the next threat could be,” said Dennis Zabaglo, aquatic resources program manager at TRPA. “We’re using every weapon at our disposal, and these regional partnerships are a critical link to conserving the health of Lake Tahoe.”

So far in 2016, inspectors in the Lake Tahoe Region have conducted more than 7,300 inspections and decontaminated more than 3,500 vessels. They have also kept four boats from launching as they contained quagga mussels, the most recent one was in August at the Meyers inspection station.

Quagga mussels have caused significant environmental damage in U.S. waterways, including the Great Lakes and Lake Mead.

No only have the inspection stations been watching for the mussels, but they've also found 20 boats with other invasive species including New Zealand mudsnails.

“Our inspection staff work hard to prevent new introductions of aquatic invasive species into Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Lake, Echo Lake, and now Donner Lake,” said Nicole Cartwright, AIS program coordinator with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD). “With over 20 vessels found harvesting invasive species, this validates their efforts and the importance of our program.”

Tahoe inspectors ask boaters to Clean, Drain and Dry their vessels prior to arriving at an inspection station. For more information on the Lake Tahoe Watercraft Inspection Program, visit TahoeBoatInspections.com.

South Tahoe Now Staff Report