On Sun, 11 May 2008 12:53:19 -0700 (PDT), phishrace
wrote:

Turns out this is a done deal. $7.00 per boat inspection with a
banding program for repeat boaters.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/sec/672363882.html

http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=boatingwx3.jpg

So there will be much rubber stamping done at Tuesday's public
meeting. The cost of the program is expected to be up to $700,000 and
there were 150,000 launch permits issued in the county last year. The
county and the water district were fighting over who would take
financial responsibility. Doesn't sound like too much of a risk to me.

I still think I'll attend the meeting and ask how they arrived at the
$7.00 figure. I'll also ask if it is open-ended. I'm sure the plan is
to inspect indefinitely, but if no mussels are found in the lake or
during inspections for a year or more, why continue inspections? I'll
also ask if a one time yearly inspection fee is possible. I have a
annual pass for my boat and tow rig for the county. It would be nice
to have the same for the inspections. I doubt they'll go for this as
the inspections are done by an outside company, but it can't hurt to
ask.

-mike

Mike,
The problem is that the mussels can live for DAYS out of the water.
The theory on how they got to Lake Mead is that they were attached to
a boat and/or trailer that was previously in the Great Lakes region
and hitched a ride to the SouthWest US.

About 4 years ago, a Park Ranger noticed mussels attached to the hull
of a boat that was about to be launched at one of Mead's marinas and
he stopped the launch...The mussels were still viable. The only
problem is that unbeknownst to the Ranger, the mussels had already
established themselves in Mead. The "good" news is that the Zebra is
just a minor inconvenience when compared to its cousin, the Quagga
Mussel...which too, is in Mead. The Quagga reproduces at a greater
rate and is capable of living in much deeper water

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