In order to keep Lake Tahoe free of the insidious, harmful zebra and quagga mussels boaters should be aware that they could be subject to an inspection before launching this summer.

Thirteen inspectors have been hired to assist boaters in the process of examining their boats before entering Lake Tahoe.

The extra precautions are being taken because the notoriously invasive mussels have been found as close as 250 miles to Lake Tahoe in Lake Mead and in San Justo, Calif.

Quagga and zebra mussels have destroyed lake ecosystems, economies and infrastructures across the United States since their introduction to the Great Lakes in Michigan in 1988. Once they invade a lake, they have never been completely eradicated from a large water source, said David Britton and assistant aquatic nuisance species coordinator for the southwest region of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

After passing an amendment this spring, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is requiring all boats to be inspected if asked, or face a $5,000 fine if they choose to launch without complying with an inspection. If inspectors are not available, boaters can launch without a boat inspection.

These inspections are the first line of defense against the devastating mussels infiltrating Lake Tahoe. If a mussel is found on a boat it will not be allowed to launch.

The inspectors will be stationed at all public and some private launch points on the lake and will ask boaters questions about their recent boating habits to determine if a further inspection is needed.

"We'll be asking questions like 'where has your boat been?' or 'how long has it been out of the water?'" said Nicole Cartwright, a conservation planner for the invasive species program for the TRCD. "We'll also be educating them about the risks."

Inspectors will also occasionally be using dogs trained to smell out mussels. There are 12 dogs stationed in California by the state Department of Fish and Game and two of them will be in the Tahoe area, department spokeswoman Alexia Retallack said.

Please help the TRPA by complying with this protocol and keeping your boat clean and free of the harmful mussels. These creatures have been known to wreak millions of dollars of damage in other areas where they have been introduced with no known predators. We wouldn’t want that type of damage to take its toll on our beautiful Lake Tahoe.