Uniform plan needed to mitigate golden mussel threat

If you've been looking forward to an amazing season on the water here in Northern California, you may have to look forward to it a bit longer. Just my luck that, as I embark on a regular column meant to extol the virtues of our region's fisheries, there is an emerging invasive species threat bringing everything to, if not a grinding halt, then a grinding hassle. Originally from Asia, golden mussels have recently been found in the Delta. A mussel threat isn't anything new; quagga and zebra mussels have been a concern for years and several lakes, including Tahoe, have had mitigation policies in place. But golden mussels are a different breed, literally. Their spread, if not controlled, is rapid and devastating – they can completely encrust essential equipment for flood control and irrigation. Treating them after they become established can run in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The threat is no joke. I'm not downplaying that. However, the efforts to mitigate the threat haven't been anything to smile about either. Nearly every reservoir in Northern California is managed not by a single, over-arching body like the state but by individual water agencies. And just in the past two months they have all been cracking down on the mussel threat in their own ways. Which is fine. The problem is the word "ways," plural. Currently, no two mitigation efforts look the same. At Camanche and Pardee, which are overseen by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, boats not already moored in the lake have been banned, period. Nevada Irrigation District has done the same thing through at least May 1 with Scotts Flat and Rollins lakes. Solano County Water Agency, which oversees Berryessa, gives boaters two choices: quarantine your boat after an inspection for 30 days or, starting April 7, pay up to $200 for a decontamination steam cleaning. Tahoe just went from inspection to a mandatory steam clean contamination of vessels for $60. And, closest to home, Folsom Lake and Lake Clementine will be closing to all boaters from April 14 to May 14. If you want to use Folsom this summer, you'll need to have your vessel inspected, tagged and quarantined for 30 days – meaning no use of it at all. After May 14, if you haven't gone through the decontamination quarantine and want to put your boat into Folsom or Clementine, you can get it steam-cleaned and you're allowed to launch right away. For tens of thousands of boaters and fishers in Northern California, our lakes – and the variety we have to choose from – are one of the best things about living here. These disparate mitigation efforts haven't killed the ability to go out and enjoy the water, but they've severely curtailed them. A standardized, cooperative solution between all agencies is a must. Full disclosure: I'm a fishing guide, and yes, this will impact my business – as it will other guides in the region. But that's not why I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated because there are procedures available that could quickly streamline all this. But I'm not sure they're even being considered right now, and that should frustrate every single one of the thousands of watercraft owners in Northern California. What promises to be a spectacular water year is in danger of going down the drain. Going forward, this column is going to be about fishing, I promise! Where to fish, how, when. All of it. But right now? Let's hope for a golden mussel prevention plan that is uniform and effective across all bodies of threatened waters. Otherwise, there's going to be a lot less fishing to talk about.