Golden mussel infestation found on boat at Beals Point

A golden mussel infestation was discovered on a boat at Beals Point on Tuesday, May 6, according to California State Parks officials; they credit their new vessel inspection program at Folsom Lake for the discovery. Officials said in a news release staff found several live golden mussels attached to the vessel during an inspection. The vessel, which had recently been in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, was stored for further inspection. State Parks said they are working with the owner and other agencies to safely decontaminate and quarantine the vessel. "Thanks to this new program and the diligent work of our inspection team, we prevented this vessel from ever touching the water, which could have had catastrophic consequences," said Folsom Lake State Recreation Area Superintendent Mike Howard. "The inspection and quarantine program we have implemented is in place to protect billions of dollars of water and hydroelectric infrastructure in addition to recreation and the fishery. The discovery of live golden mussels (Tuesday) validates the importance of this effort." State Parks officials said their staff and partner shops have inspected nearly 5,000 vessels since implementing the inspection/quarantine program on April 14 at the request of the Bureau of Reclamation. Following inspection, vessels receive a quarantine seal (watercraft band) applied for 30 days and cannot enter the water during that time. Vessels completing the 30-day quarantine may return to the lake, have the seal removed by authorized staff and be allowed to launch. All trailered or motorized vessels are subject to the inspection, quarantine and seal program. Golden mussels were identified in the Delta in October, the first known occurrence of the highly invasive aquatic species in North America. State Parks officials said golden mussels pose a significant threat to the ecological health of all waters of the state, its water conveyance systems, infrastructure and water quality. These invasive mussels can also cause significant damage to boats by attaching to hulls and clogging engines, which will lead to increased costs for boat owners. Additional information on the golden mussel prevention program, including inspection site locations, frequently asked questions and hours, can be found at parks.ca.gov/FolsomLakeGoldenMussels.