Golden mussels intercepted at Lake Tahoe

Watercraft inspectors stopped golden mussels from entering Lake Tahoe this week during an aquatic invasive species inspection at the station in Meyers, program managers announced Wednesday. This is the second vessel intercepted with the highly invasive mollusk onboard since the species was detected for the first time in North America in 2024 in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD), which have managed the Lake Tahoe Watercraft Inspection Program since 2008, say vigilance must remain high to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species in the Lake Tahoe Region. Boaters, paddlers, beachgoers and anglers can help protect the lake they enjoy by ensuring boats and gear are clean, drained and dry when moving from one body of water to another. Inspectors spotted the four possibly live golden mussels on a vessel arriving from the Sacramento area, where the invasive species has spread since its detection near the Port of Stockton. Stronger protections at Lake Tahoe since the discovery are working, according to the agencies. "Protecting Lake Tahoe truly takes everyone working together," said Chris Kilian, aquatic invasive species program manager for Tahoe RCD. "It's one of the things that has made Lake Tahoe a national model for preventing new aquatic invasive species. Highly trained inspectors are an important line of defense, but when everyone practices clean, drain, dry protocols, they are helping protect the waters they enjoy and keeping them pristine for future generations." These trained inspectors normally intercept multiple motorized vessels with invasive species onboard every year, which shows the program is working. TRPA and Tahoe RCD say they have intercepted four boats already this season with invasive mussels onboard – three with zebra mussels that have been spreading around the U.S. since the 2000s, and one with golden mussels. "We have elevated mandatory inspections to also require a full decontamination for any vessel coming from other waterbodies," TRPA Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager Dennis Zabaglo said. "That degree of protection has gotten a positive response from boaters. When more vessels arrive clean, drained and dry, it helps lower the risk to Tahoe and saves them time at the station." Educating and interacting with paddlers and beachgoers is a cornerstone of Lake Tahoe's prevention program as well. More than 8,400 people have become Tahoe Keepers through a free, online certification, and roving inspectors at Lake Tahoe beaches interviewed more than 17,000 non-motorized recreators last year alone. The boat decontamination process, which includes opening hatches, inspecting anchors and using high-temperature water to destroy any aquatic invasive species, certifies a vessel is OK to launch in Tahoe. The most recent infested boat is also under the watch of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Aquatic invasive species can decimate native species, damage infrastructure such as water intake lines and drastically alter ecosystems because there are far fewer checks and balances to their growth. Golden mussels have been called "invasive species on steroids" because of particularly high survivability and reproduction rates. In response to the detection of golden mussels in the Delta region just a few hours away from Lake Tahoe, TRPA strengthened the mandatory inspection program in 2025 to include decontaminations for boats that last launched anywhere outside the Lake Tahoe Region. Boats that are used only in Tahoe do not need to be re-inspected. The agencies are also rewarding boaters who arrive at the inspection station clean, drained and dry this year with a 50-percent discount on the decontamination fee. Learn more at https://tahoeboatinspections.com/.