Amador County – Some good news for Amador County boaters. The ban on boats registered in Santa Clara County has been lifted as part of a policy change by the East Bay Municipal Utility District. The ban was put in place as a protective measure against the invasive Quagga and Zebra Mussel after Zebra Mussels were discovered in adjacent San Benito County. Both lakes Camanche and Pardee, managed by EBMUD, will now accept vessels registered in Santa Clara County pending a successful vessel inspection. This change is the result of research done to determine the extent of the current infestation in Northern California as well as the vulnerability of Pardee and Camanche to the threats posed by invasive mussels. At this time, East Bay Municipal Utility District has taken several steps to manage the Quagga and Zebra mussel issue at Lake Camanche, Lake Pardee, and San Pablo Reservoir. This includes banning vessels from Southern California and outside of California, and inspecting vessels from approved counties. No further discoveries of mussels have been made in the region, and Santa Clara County agencies have implemented an active prevention program in their reservoirs. Additionally, Pardee and Camanche have been determined to be less vulnerable to mussel infestation than reservoirs in the East Bay. Vessel owners will be asked to complete a vessel history survey and to present the vessel in a clean and dry condition. The condition of the vessel will be determined by a physical inspection. In order to help prevent the spread of all aquatic invasive species, the "Clean and Dry, Inside and Out" requirement for all vessel owners will be enforced again this year and into the future. For more information, including detailed descriptions of the vessel history survey and the physical inspection or to learn more about invasive mussels, please visit www.ebmud.com/services/recreation. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.