Shellfish-sniffing dogs to protect Lake Nacimiento from invasive species
Mussel-sniffing dogs will greet boaters at Lake Nacimiento on select weekends this month.
The canines will use their noses to inspect watercraft for invasive zebra and quagga mussels, which are small and difficult to see, according to a San Luis Obispo County news release.
The shellfish, which are native to eastern Europe, “hitch rides on boats, and travel to other lakes, causing damage to a lake’s natural environment, boating and water equipment,” the release said. “Once a lake is infested, it can be expensive to get rid of mussels. Preventing their spread is the best course of action.”
Boat inspections will be carried out at the lake on weekends during the California Mid-State Fair, which runs July 21 through Aug. 1 at the Paso Robles Event Center.
Boats that fail to pass the mussel inspection or that have visited mussel-infected lakes in the past 30 days may not enter Lake Nacimiento, the release said, and boaters without a signed inspection form showing that they’re mussel free can be fined up to $2,000.
To prevent mussel infestations, boaters can do the following:
- Check your boat surfaces for mussels, which feel like sandpaper;
- Wash the hull of your vessel;
- Remove plant and animal material;
- Drain water from the vessel and dry all parts of the boat;
- Clean and dry all live-wells;
- Throw away unused bait; and
Empty and dry buckets and compartments.
