Lake Tahoe officials turn back boaters trying to skirt checks for golden mussels

Darrell Smith, The Sacramento Bee on Jun 25, 2026

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Authorities have intercepted six watercraft that illegally attempted to launch on Lake Tahoe amid a campaign to keep golden mussels and other invasive species out of the iconic Sierra lake.

The boaters stopped this summer by Tahoe Regional Planning Agency inspectors were attempting to enter the lake with tampered inspection seals. The wire seals certify a vessel had either been decontaminated and inspected for invasive species or was last launched in the Lake Tahoe basin, agency officials said in a news release.

“When a motorized boat leaves the water, marina or boat ramp staff attach a new security wire to the boat and trailer and catalog the serial number,” the planning agency said in its release. “Without an intact inspection seal, the vessel cannot legally launch and is required to be inspected and decontaminated at one of three regional inspection stations.”

Lake Tahoe inspectors in May stopped a watercraft carrying invasive golden mussels from entering the lake.

Inspectors at the agency’s Meyers inspection station found four invasive golden mussels aboard a boat bound for Lake Tahoe from the Sacramento area in May, officials said. Agency officials turned the vessel over to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency officials have stepped up efforts to keep the invasive mollusk out the alpine lake — inspections are mandatory and include full decontamination for vessels coming from other waterways. Boaters must open hatches, inspect anchors and use high-temperature water to destroy any aquatic invasive species, officials said.

After the first North American sightings of golden mussels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in late 2024 near the Port of Stockton, California Fish and Wildlife commissioners placed the species on the state’s restricted list, citing its threat to California waterways and ecosystems.

The mussels reproduce rapidly, attach to boats and infrastructure, clog water intake systems and disrupt native aquatic ecosystems, making them difficult to eradicate once established.

The heightened enforcement comes as Sacramento County declared a local emergency over the spread of the bivalves earlier this month. Since then, the mussels have spread through California waterways, prompting mandatory boat inspections and decontamination requirements at lakes and reservoirs statewide.

Tahoe officials have been vigilant, ensuring all boats are cleaned, drained and dry before launching into Lake Tahoe.

“We are investigating and moving each case through the enforcement process to make sure we are maintaining the highest level of protection for Lake Tahoe,” said Dennis Zabaglo, manager of the agency’s aquatic invasive species program, in a statement.