|
Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention & Blue Boating Program How to prepare and what to expect. Come to the launch facility prepared to answer questions about your boat engine, sewage disposal, bilge cleaning and recent boating trips. Visit www.tahoeboatinspections.com to learn about Clean, Drain, and Dry and to get up-to-date information about the inspections.
Not included in this fee structure, is the option for a 3-day pass for boaters who are coming to Lake Tahoe for a one time visit. The cost for a 3-day pass is $20 less than the Tahoe In & Out Stickers. Why a certification inspection? Lake Tahoe is a pristine alpine lake where clean boating and protection from aquatic invasive species are high priorities. Boaters directly benefit from watercraft inspections because the waters they use will be kept clean and free from new invasive species. TRPA recognizes the importance of boating to Lake Tahoe’s heritage and to the local economy. As boating thrives, so can adverse impacts such as engine pollutants, shoreline erosion, noise and pollutant discharges from dirty bilges and sewage. Blue Boating certification provides educational services to boaters while building mitigation resources and adding some environmental controls. Through watercraft inspections, clean boating can continue to be a foundation of the Region’s recreational resources. Additionally, Lake Tahoe continues to be threatened by quagga and zebra mussels. These devastating invasive species are carried from place to place on boat trailers and boats. They are highly successful in part because they attach to any hard surface and can live out of water for weeks at a time. The mussels reproduce rapidly, causing irreversible environmental damage and can seriously damage boat engines by clogging engine cooling systems, causing motors to overheat. By integrating with the Aquatic Invasive Species Program, Blue Boating provides a seamless upgrade to broader environmental protections around the Lake. Lake Tahoe has been specially designated an Outstanding National Resource Water. This special honor comes with high standards for pollution control. Boaters are the key to protecting the waters they use from impacts associated with boating. However, substantial funding for the inspection program continues to be provided by grants. By contributing to the inspection and certification program through the payment of sticker fees, boaters are contributing a fair share to the effort to protect Lake Tahoe. Portions of the fee also help build important mitigation measures designed to protect and enhance on-the-water recreation. TRPA has worked with boating advocates and the public to establish a fee structure that meets the needs of the program without being unfair to boaters. How will Blue Boating affect vintage and classic wooden boats? TRPA is supportive of Lake Tahoe's rich boating past and recognizes the importance of Tahoe's vintage fleet. While engine restrictions are not part of the certification program this year, TRPA staff is working with vintage boat advocates on amendments to the program that would clarify considerations for vessels of historic value. Where noise is concerned, TRPA noise requirements are the same as regulations in both States for noise and muffler systems. These requirements are also not new to the TRPA Code and have been in effect since 1987. The focus of Blue Boating is on altered exhaust systems and aftermarket cutout devices that make boats louder. The Agency's proactive outreach to private operators has been helpful in crafting the program and considerations are being made for other issues important to the vintage boating community such as how to best display the annual certification sticker.
Do I have to pay every time I launch? No. The fee structure has been updated so that only one annual fee is required to pay for all the services provided at launch ramps and decontamination centers. Whether public or private, launch ramps usually collect fees for using their facility as well and each facility is different. ALWAYS CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY We are sure all of our customers are as committed as we are to preserving the beauty of Lake Tahoe for generations to come. We appreciate your understanding as we work to keep it free of aquatic invasive species.
|