Casitas Inspection Policy (long but a good read) 1 Feb 08

[oakview]

CASITAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT
POLICIES & PROCEDURES FOR VESSEL INSPECTION FOR QUAGGA MUSSELS
LAKE CASITAS RECREATION AREA







1. Policy & Procedure

The policy and procedures in this document will focus on staff expectations of inspection criteria of vessels entering Lake Casitas. This vessel inspections procedure is being implemented to ensure that invasive species do not enter Lake Casitas and impact treatment infrastructure and threaten the lake’s ecosystem.

In order to be consistent with policies, procedures and training, the Lake Casitas Recreation Area Vessel Inspection Checklist is to be used on all vessel inspections. This document outlines a 20-step process that staff must complete before a vessel of any kind is authorized to enter Lake Casitas Recreation Area. The Vessel Inspection Checklist is a check off sheet outlining aspects of this policies and procedures document. Each step in the Vessel Inspection Checklist has specific expectations associated with it and should only be conducted by fully trained staff.

Lake Casitas Recreation Area staff will follow a zero tolerance policy for inspection criteria. If at anytime during an inspection a vessel fails a step on the Vessel Inspection Checklist, the vessel will be placed on the quarantine list for a minimum of twenty-eight (28) days.

The following outlines the parameters, which staff will be adhering to on the Vessel Inspection Checklist.

Employee is to write the state boating identification number and owner/operators name and date on the Vessel Inspection Checklist.

(a) Employee will check the Casitas generated database on vessels that have previously been denied access due to inspection issues. All vessels that have been denied access will remain on the list, it will be necessary for staff to check the date of the last denial of entry. If the denial date is within the last 28 days, then access will be denied until 28 days has passed.

(b) The customer is to fill out and sign the “Vessel Survey Formâ€

[oakview]

Heres the inspection checklist...

LAKE CASITAS RECREATION AREA - VESSEL INSPECTION CHECKLIST

CF #: _______________ Owner/Operator (Print Name) ______________________________________________

 Computer check to see if vessel has been previously denied entry
 Completed Vessel Survey Form. Have owner/operator complete and sign form. If owner/operator has
checked any lakes on the form, deny entry to the vessel.
 Informational handouts “Take Action to Save Our Lakesâ€

[steve0806]

They have to explain where the bilge is to their employees?

They admit the bilge area may not be visible. If so, how do they inspect it??

[tunaman]

Thanks for sharing Dave - I feel your pain.

Roger

[oakview]

Only advise I can give some of you form the experience I went through is the following

The lake doesn't care if you fish on saturday and the next day you can't get in. EVEN IF ITS RAINNING. They have me in the database fishing the day before.

I got off the phone with Brian Rooney, basically if its rainning, no common sense will be used. If there is water in your boat you will not get in.

When I get back from Texas. I am filling every compartment with towels all the way to the lid.

I'm also filling the hull with towels.


But thats if I ever go back to fish the lake. I still haven't decided.

D.

[oakview]

One last thing, Brian Rooney also stated if you can't make the next board meeting, you can send him a email or letter and he will forward it to the Clerk of the Board.

It can be about questions, concerns, etc...

I'm working on mine.

His email address is Brian Roney [psm@casitaswater.com]

D.

[Robert F]

By that check list it is very clear that they are targeting fishermen and not pleasure boaters. What about ballast bags in Wakeboard boats? What about vehicles carrying bait in plastic bags or coolers? are they checking the passenger compartments for coolers? Float tubes? Waders? None of these items are addressed.

[Pred]

where does it say about the carpeted compartments. Does it state the employees recieved training?

Have the boats ON the LAKE before these inspections came in place get looked at? What if the same mussels that "could have been" on scotts peice of grass are on the same grass that is in the Homeowners?

LASTLY WHAT Defines DEBRIS!! Also did anyone find the covenants and policys that allow them to do this? IM sure there is some legal precedent that allows for them to make a policy. Then there is one that allows them to ACTUALLY ENFORCE it.

[Brian D.]

How can someone drive to the lake and not have some form of debris on the trailer or underneath the tow vehicle. Heck the narrow road that leads up to the lake is full of puddles, mud slides, and such. These draconian rules are meant to make it incredibly difficult to get on the lake. And as Lane indicated in another post, the inspection personnel are not adequately trained. Watch a video? Come on now!

Also, I noticed that there is no provision for camping or hotel customers and if they will allow boats back in the lake if they have to get fuel if they come back a 2nd day. Since they have a database, they should be able to check to make sure you were there the day before.

[DougH]

Come on guys, how many of you have put together a perfect policy and procedure on your first draft?
We should be happy that they are even letting us in at all at this point in time.
Is is good? no, we know that. If we work with them and create a workable and effective inspection procedure, all will be good eventually.
If you all phreak out on the first day to the point of hysteria, we will lose before the game even starts.

[Kevin]

Be happy that they are letting us in! You've got to be kidding me. After seeing what has taken place in just the last week, what makes you think they are going to work with us? Also, what makes you think that Lake Casitas doesn't already believe they have an effective inspection procedure. I'm sure the inspectors were commended for a job well done when they turned away 10 boats Saturday and never let 1 boat in the lake on Sunday when it was raining. I'm all for giving people the benefit of the doubt as long there is rationale being used. Lake Casitas and its inspection process is completely irrational and for this reason, people are pissed off. The game has already started. In fact, it's the 4th quarter and we're down by alot. But we still have enough time to pull it out.

[Trouser Trout]

Maybe we should just take the Board of Directors an a one way shark fishing trip..... :twisted:

[mark poulson]

In order for them to inspect all compartments, do we empty them into our trucks before inspection?

[DougH]

In order for them to inspect all compartments, do we empty them into our trucks before inspection?

I'm not going to do that this weekend. But I will have cleaned my boat and vacuumed all of the compartments before I go. It will be clean and dry.

And Kevin, I'm sorry you don't agree with what we're doing, or trying to do. But this is my home lake, and I am trying my best to help save this lake from closing. We can only play the cards we're dealt dude, and right now, the Board has a full house and they can do whatever they want at this point in time. If you can provide me with some legal documentation that shows otherwise, please pass it along. We don't like it any more than you do, trust me.

[Ray L.]

this policy is a joke. It was proven on sat. and then on Sunday when not 1 boat made it in by 10:30a.m. to fish the lake.
I really don't care anymore about doing the right thing and being so soft spoken I am done.
Who is going to pay me for my time I spent on Monday trying to figure out a new date for a tournament and also moving to a new lake. I was also way to busy with e mails and on the phone to get any work done.
The policy is a joke and is geared to the bass boat. There is no give and take.

[drew]

You were victimized by bad knee jerk policies and with know due process.

this policy is a joke. It was proven on sat. and then on Sunday when not 1 boat made it in by 10:30a.m. to fish the lake.
I really don't care anymore about doing the right thing and being so soft spoken I am done.
Who is going to pay me for my time I spent on Monday trying to figure out a new date for a tournament and also moving to a new lake. I was also way to busy with e mails and on the phone to get any work done.
The policy is a joke and is geared to the bass boat. There is no give and take.

[Ray L.]

This new policy that went into effect on Feb 1st. was not even put on there website until yesterday.
There was no formal announcement nothing.

[Bill Hutcheson]

Based upon this new policy, I guess we will never see another trout stocking occuring on Casitas unless they invent a way to transport trout "dry".

I wish I had the time, but someone needs to go back and check all the tournament org records from 2007 to see how many boats fished the lake on tournament days. Estimate the number of boats that pre-fished, other recreational anglers, etc. Figure out the gate fees, ramp fees, lake permit fees, concession expenditures, etc.... Take this number to the board at the next meeting and let them know what thier revenue loss will be. I assure you, the anglers are the PRIMARY users of the lake from Oct-March.

Western Outdoors is following this one and will inform our readership as best we can. In the mean time, I am contacting some friends at United Anglers to see if I can get them involved.

Hutch
WON BASS

[Brian D.]

is that they're ignoring scientific fact and credible testimony given by the DFG and yet they still come up with these asinine policies.

The folks that drafted the document knew that there were other committies/advisory boards that could have provided a hint of reality. Did they bounce a review copy to them? I'm guessing no. So, where is that cooperative spirit in working with the fishermen?

[tunaman]

That, and the critical fact of proximity... if your boat hasn't been on another body of water (especially those doing back-to-back trips and those locals living there) and you have the paperwork (never mind the fact you're in their database) to prove you were on the lake the day before, how can that possibly pose a risk to the waterway??? No common sense applied here at all... DVL's policies are much more realistic, yet thorough and based on fact and science as best as it is currently known.

We all want to protect the resource, and are willing to bend over backwards to do so, but I think many are tired of getting bent over forwards on this issue. Much of the policy is appropriate, but it is the manner in which it is being enforced that is causing undue grief.

Roger

[Steve]

First, I dont agree with anything Lake Casitas officials are doing. We are just now starting to deal with this issue up here at Pardee and San Pablo. Its going to get bad, no doubt. None of us condone the short term solutions currently in place.

With that said, Im going to play the devils advocate for a second. Im positive CMWD has the legal authority to deny access to recreationalists (not sure if they have the legal right to crawl through our boats though). Also, Im positive that the money generated from recreationalists at Casitas is of little concern to CMWD. CMWD is interested in selling and delivering water, everything else are annoyances CMWD has to deal with in order to be able to sell and deliver water.

This is a cut a dry interpretation of reality. When all the fluff is removed thats pretty much what you are left with.

[some guy]

amen steve

[mark poulson]

[CMWD is interested in selling and delivering water, everything else are annoyances CMWD has to deal with in order to be able to sell and deliver water.

This is a cut a dry interpretation of reality. When all the fluff is removed that's pretty much what you are left with.[/quote]

Unfortunately, you're right.