Warden/K9 Teams to Patrol Bassmaster Tournament

[Glenn]

Department of Fish and Game News Release

March 3, 2010

Contact: Warden Patrick Foy (916) 508-7095

Warden/K9 Teams to Patrol Bassmaster Tournament

California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) warden/K-9 teams will help inspect incoming boats for Quagga/Zebra mussels for an upcoming bass tournament in Stockton. Professional bass anglers from throughout the United States will compete in the 2010 Duel in the Delta Bassmaster Tournament next week. The competitors are expected to bring with them boats that have been exposed to mussel-infested waters in other states.

DFG K-9s are specially trained to detect these mussels in any stage of growth. DFG wardens with their K-9 partners will perform boat inspections beginning Sunday to screen vessels of the invasive species.

“The goal of the effort is to prevent the spread of Quagga and Zebra mussels into California waters,â€

[swimbait]

On the one hand, great to see some awareness with the mussel issue and some recognition that the Delta is an important waterway (arguably the most important) to protect in the state.

On the other hand, all this does is perpetuate the notion that fisherman are the big bad guys when it comes to spreading mussels. I think this is misguided.

I think the most likely way that mussels will be spread in CA will not be in bass boats or trout boats or striper boats. It will be on the hulls and motors of pontoon boats, yachts or similar large vessels that are stored in the water (not on trailers).

The notion that a bass boat will suck up a veliger (larval form) in to the livewell is not unreasonable, but it seems way way more far fetched than the scenario where some house boat from mead gets past a state border inspection and has a lower unit covered in quagga.

Just my opinion!

[Ron C]

What a crock of s***. There has yet to be even one single reported confirmation of a bass boat infecting any body of water anywhere in the country.

Are the DFG wardens and K-9s going to be inspecting and sniffing all of the wake board boats (which have water bladders), houseboats, cruisers, PWC, or other watercraft that are a MUCH higher risk of contamination?

This is nothing more than a media blitz by the DFG to get some air time on ESPN to give the impression that they targeting the source of the problem when, in reality, they are not. Every Quagga mussel infestation to date in California has been directly related to water transportation via the Colorado River Aqueduct system and wildlife, not to boats – and certainly not bass boats.

Like most bass anglers, I am a very strong proponent of “Clean and Dryâ€

[DPetty]

[quote="Ron C"]What a crock of s***. There has yet to be even one single reported confirmation of a bass boat infecting any body of water anywhere in the country.

Are the DFG wardens and K-9s going to be inspecting and sniffing all of the wake board boats (which have water bladders), houseboats, cruisers, PWC, or other watercraft that are a MUCH higher risk of contamination?

This is nothing more than a media blitz by the DFG to get some air time on ESPN to give the impression that they targeting the source of the problem when, in reality, they are not. Every Quagga mussel infestation to date in California has been directly related to water transportation via the Colorado River Aqueduct system and wildlife, not to boats – and certainly not bass boats.

Like most bass anglers, I am a very strong proponent of “Clean and Dryâ€

[blkdog812]

i hope all the anglers clean and flush their bilges and livewell prior to the inspection.
god forbid if any anglers shows a positive k-9 hit whether local or out of state. that will bring on even more regs and inspections fee's.
yes we do need to stop the spread, but it needs to be a concious effort from us, on our own, not through more gov regulation and fee's.
they also need to check and inform the other boaters with as much effort as they have targeted the fisherman.

[Robert F]

i hope all the anglers clean and flush their bilges and livewell prior to the inspection.
god forbid if any anglers shows a positive k-9 hit whether local or out of state. that will bring on even more regs and inspections fee's.
yes we do need to stop the spread, but it needs to be a concious effort from us, on our own, not through more gov regulation and fee's.
they also need to check and inform the other boaters with as much effort as they have targeted the fisherman.

...and when they don't we will have paid for this huge dog and pony show out of the limited funds DFG has for enforcement of real problems like poaching. I agree with Ron above. Never been a confirmed infestation of a waterway in California without it being water transport or a moored boat.

[keithcant]

I expect the result to assist in the developement of information as to whether the 'bass boat' posse spread the invasive. I expect NOT.

Then the results of this action should carry forward to dispel rumors/myths as to the spread.

Nazi controllers such as @ Casitas can then have these examples in their face. Let's hope no bass boats are found to be contributors.

I , for one, believe the bass boat world has been getting the short end of the stick in the zealous campaign against invasives. We have all suffered by inconvenience, cost and in some situations total forbidden reasonable use of some waters. A little legitimate information hopefully can go a long way!!

[swimbait]

The more I think about this, the more I think BASS should refuse the inspections. NO BOATS ARE INSPECTED AT THE DELTA - EVER.

Why should they be required to submit to these inspections? Aren't there laws in this country about law enforcement arbitrarily enforcing laws on certain groups and not on others? This seems fundamentally wrong.

I appeal to the BASS Elite anglers to refuse the inspections.

[Brian D.]

1/4 of the field refused access for not being clean and dry. Bass forums and blogs all over the US will be blasting CA again. Ahhhh..more visibility to inconsistent enforcement and inspection standards.

[quote]“If the dogs locate a mussel, we can take appropriate action.â€

[mark poulson]

Ron's right, of course. The mussels follow the path of the Colorado River water.
But I keep hearing of some San Diego lakes that are contaminated, and don't get that water.
So it's either contaminated boats, or birds, carrying the larvae from one lake to another. Or crawdads from Texas???
If the State is serious about making sure boats are clean, wouldn't it make more sense to put drive through dip/decontamination tanks at all the border crossings, so both tow vehicle and boat/trailer are actually treated with something that kills the mussels? They could even fill and drain wake boat bladders to get the stuff in there, too.
How many border crossings do we have coming into CA?
It can't be that expensive, especially when you hear the potential cost of cleaning up contaminated infrastructure.
Of course, that would mean the State of CA would have to stand up and take responsibility for prevention, and I can just hear all the lawyers from every water district licking their chops as they prepare suits to get the State to remedy their particular infestations.
But it would certainly cut down on the chance that houseboats and wakeboats from Havasu and the River, as well as all other water craft, might contaminate our water systems.
The State could charge every water district in CA a fee for this to pay for it. It would be a bargain compared to the cost of an infestation.

[swimbait]

Will DFG be inspecting boats at the Diablo Shores Pro/Am Waterski Event?
Will DFG be inspecting boats at the Stephen's Boats Rendesvous?
Will DFG be inspecting boats at the the Discovery Bay Boat Show?

The answer is NO because fishermen are being UNFARILY TARGETED

[Robert F]

But I keep hearing of some San Diego lakes that are contaminated, and don't get that water.
So it's either contaminated boats, or birds, carrying the larvae from one lake to another. Or crawdads from Texas???

Where is this lake? Dixon? They do not allow private boats.

[swimbait]

Here is the map of "infected" locations.

All of the lakes in San Diego that have mussels got it from the Colorado river.

The only lake in Nor-cal that has them is San Justo. It is unknown how they got there.

[Steve]

Will DFG be inspecting boats at the Diablo Shores Pro/Am Waterski Event?
Will DFG be inspecting boats at the Stephen's Boats Rendesvous?
Will DFG be inspecting boats at the the Discovery Bay Boat Show?

The answer is NO because fishermen are being UNFARILY TARGETED

I fully agree with you Rob, and targeting bass (BASS) anglers likely could be legally interpreted as a form of harassment or discrimination. Thanks for digging up those other events, very interesting.

[blkdog812]

lots of so cal fisherman go there

[jimmy87]

San Justo is the ONLY water in California with ZEBRA mussels.

All of the other bodies of waters including the the Co River do not have ZEBRA in them.

They are infected with Quagga.

The zebra mussels in San Justo must have come from way back east.

makes me wonder how they got in there. San Justo was not even a lake that allowed power boats.

How come I never hear anyone mention these facts?

Am I incorrect?

[blkdog812]

DFG News Release
Zebra Mussels Found in California ReservoirJan. 16, 2008
Contact:
Alexia Retallack, Dept of Fish and Game (916) 952-3317
Harry Morse, Dept of Fish and Game (916) 838-4410
Pete Weisser, Dept of Water Resources, (916) 802-8375
Gloria Sandoval, Dept of Boating and Waterways (916) 263-0788
Mary Fricke, Dept of Fish and Game (Spanish) (916) 322-8911
Zebra mussels have been found in the San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) confirmed today. This is the first population of this destructive invasive species to be found in California waters.

"The discovery of Zebra mussels in a central California waterway has us very concerned," said Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman. "Like its relative the Quagga mussel, this species can cause significant environmental, recreational and economic impacts once established in a body of water. It is important that boaters do everything they can to help stop their spread."

An angler fishing in the San Justo Reservoir last week reported landing a clump of what appeared to be mussels. These mussels and a sample collected by DFG biologists were then verified to be Zebra mussels by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) laboratory. Similarly, Quagga mussels were first detected in the Colorado River system in January 2007 and were later found in San Diego and Riverside counties by state and local water agencies.

A multi-agency taskforce that includes DFG, Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Department of Boating and Waterways and California State Parks has responded with surface and underwater inspectors to determine the extent of the threat to California waters from Zebra and Quagga mussels.

No mussels have been detected on artificial substrates in the San Luis Reservoir, which flows into the San Justo Reservoir, or in the O’Neill Forebay. So far, mussels have not been found anywhere in California's State Water Project (SWP), which draws its water from Northern California watersheds. DWR regularly monitors for Zebra and Quagga mussels throughout the SWP, one of the largest water and power systems in the United States.

Both species of mussel are non-native aquatic mollusks that wreak havoc with the environment by disrupting the natural food chain and releasing toxins that affect other aquatic species. Although they range in size from microscopic to the size of a fingernail, they are prolific and attach themselves to hard and soft surfaces. Boats are the primary transporters of Zebra and Quagga mussels. The Zebra mussels inhabit water depths from 4 to 180 feet, with Quagga reaching depths more than 400 feet, and can attach to and damage boat trailers, cooling systems, boat hulls and steering equipment. Mussels attached to watercraft or trailers can be transported and spread to other water bodies. Water in boat engines, bilges, live wells and buckets can carry mussel larvae (veligers) to other water bodies as well. A mussel infestation can potentially lead to the closure of boating in affected waterways. San Benito County Public Works closed San Justo Reservoir to all boating activity.

The main risk of mussel introduction into the SWP is from trailered boats. It is important to follow the steps listed below and to cooperate with vessel inspections that are being conducted at a number of CDFA border inspection stations around the state to help prevent the spread of Zebra or Quagga mussels to any water system.

[mark poulson]

Here is the map of "infected" locations.

All of the lakes in San Diego that have mussels got it from the Colorado river.

The only lake in Nor-cal that has them is San Justo. It is unknown how they got there.

I stand corrected. So it's only the River water lakes.

[rxfish]

I don't think this a bad thing. If all the bass boats check out clean then the pressure is on any other organization or personal watercraft to be just as clean. I don't fish the delta or Clearlake much but it wouldn't bother me to have my boat checked. Better to be safe than sorry.

[GW]

Will DFG be inspecting the slew of wakeboard boats as they return to Calif after Spring Break at Havasu?

[mark poulson]

They can't check their flexible bladders. That's why dip tanks make sense.
Pump the bladders full of anti-quagga stuff, and then drain them again.

[Nitro5150]

San Justo Resevoir, (5 minutes from my house), is the only lake in Ca. with the Zebra Mussle. From what I understand, these are the same invasive species that are in the Great Lakes. However, I was told there is a lake in Utah that has them as well, and that is the closest location. The lake is trolling motor only, but they allow bass boats. You just cant start the big motor except for emergencies. As for how they got here, no one knows. There is literally about a dozen of us that ever fished it before it closed, and the mussle has not been found at any of the other nearby lakes with substantially more boat taffic.

[Nitro5150]

San Justo Resevoir, (5 minutes from my house), is the only lake in Ca. with the Zebra Mussle. From what I understand, these are the same invasive species that are in the Great Lakes. However, I was told there is a lake in Utah that has them as well, and that is the closest location. The lake is trolling motor only, but they allow bass boats. You just cant start the big motor except for emergencies. As for how they got here, no one knows. There is literally about a dozen of us that ever fished it before it closed, and the mussle has not been found at any of the other nearby lakes with substantially more boat taffic.

[bassaddicted]

Its because a fisherman found them. and the fact they said an angler fishing in the San Justo Reservoir last week reported "landing a clump" of what appeared to be mussels. Which isn't the fact at all. The fact is that a fisherman fishing on shore was looking for crawdads under some loose hydrila found what he thought could be zebra mussels so he took them to the store on the hill. If it were a houseboat or a wakeboard boat it would be on them. How about someone took their fish and contaminated tank water which contained the mussels and dumped them in the lake. They bought some live plants for their aquarium at a store which they got from some other country illegally that had zebra larvae on the plants.

[troutnut]

I think someone with some conection to the tournament should contact Carrie Wilson at DFG at cwilson@dfg.ca.gov. They should address if the k9 units will be checking Red Bluff boat drags and all the waterskiing events in the state too , or is it just a means to further harass anglers.