Why should I take care with my boat and watercraft equipment?
Everyone loves to spend time on the water. Some use water wings, life jackets, rafts or other floatation devices, and some are lucky enough to get our hands on a kayak, paddleboard or other watercraft. What do these things have in common? Anything used in the water (even clothing!) can provide a way for aquatic invasive species (AIS) to hitch a ride and get into our lake. If these invaders get in, they can spread, become established, and cause drastic and devastating changes. None of us wants sharp shells washing up the beach and cutting our bare feet.
How do we stop them? Make sure to Clean, Drain and Dry your watercraft every time. These tiny critters are tricky and can hide in small crevices or in small amounts of water. Never bring things that have been in infested waters into our lake. Become a Tahoe Keeper and learn how to properly clean and maintain all of your gear and educate others. And, of course, get your boat inspected before launching as required.
Additional Resources and information:
- Boat inspections are an essential part of preventing inadvertent transport of alien species into the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe.
- The Tahoe Keepers free self-inspection and decontamination training program provides paddlers and hand-launched watercraft users with the information needed to help stop the spread of AIS.
- The Tahoe RCD has lots of information about invasive species currently in our waters and those we want to keep out.
- Learn how to identify AIS and help us monitor our waters.
