SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 24, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Conservation officers plan to patrol popular boating areas throughout Utah over Memorial Day weekend to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Patrols will take place Saturday and Sunday, with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers making sure boaters are in compliance with the state’s aquatic invasive species laws.
“We want to let the public know in advance that these patrols are happening, so they can make sure they are educated about the current aquatic invasive species laws and are in compliance with those laws,” DWR Lt. Bruce Johnson said.
“Our goal is to educate the public and to prevent wildlife violations from occurring in the first place. If quagga mussels spread from Lake Powell to other Utah waterbodies, it would significantly impact water delivery systems in that area and also impact the fisheries at the affected waterbodies.”
Changes made by the Utah Legislature in 2023 require boat owners to pay registration fees through the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles and then separately pay the aquatic invasive species fee online, resulting in two separate proof-of-registration stickers.
In addition, anyone who launches any watercraft — including paddle boards, kayaks and other non-motorized watercraft — in Utah is required to take an annual mussel-aware boater course.
The annual course must be completed before the aquatic invasive species program vessel enrollment fee can be paid. A current-year boat decal will be mailed to boaters upon completion.
Anyone who wants to launch a motorized boat in Utah also must pay the annual aquatic invasive species program vessel enrollment fee. The fee is $20 per watercraft for residents and $25 per watercraft for nonresidents.
If a boater has paid the aquatic invasive species program vessel enrollment fee but has not yet received the decal, they can show proof of payment on their phone or with a printed receipt to be in compliance.
All watercraft leaving Lake Powell — currently the only Utah waterbody with confirmed quagga mussels — are required to have an exit inspection during the inspection station’s hours of operation.
Inspections are not the same as decontaminations, DWR officials said. After a watercraft is inspected, it still must be professionally decontaminated before it can launch at a different waterbody.
If a decontamination can’t be performed, the watercraft must follow the recommended cleaning and draining guidelines, and wait the required dry time before launching again.
When leaving any waterbody and when transporting watercraft, all drain plugs must be removed. Boaters also should remove any sea strainers while transporting their watercraft.
There are more than 40 inspection stations throughout the state, with some located at boat launch ramps and others along highways. A map of inspection and decontamination stations is available on the STD of the Sea website.
Five dip tanks also have been installed in Utah to help more quickly and efficiently decontaminate boats with complex systems. Four of the five dip tanks will be operational Memorial Day weekend, with the lone exception being the tank at Lake Powell’s Bullfrog Marina due to staffing issues.
For more information about preventing the spread of quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species, visit the STD of the Sea website.
