Board adopts Quagga
prevention measures
The
new fees are not expected to be imposed until later this spring, but a more
stringent set of rules limiting lake access will be implemented as early as
March 28.
In
a unanimous vote March 25, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors
adopted a set of preventive measures that were developed by the Quagga Mussel Ad Hoc Committee, which included 1st District
Supervisor Salud Carbajal,
3rd District Supervisor Brooks Firestone, representatives from the Lake Cachuma Operations and Maintenance Board and county staff.
“We
were all able to reach a win-win consensus and something we all have confidence
in,” Carbajal said.
The
Quagga Mussel is indigenous to the Ukraine and can
attach itself to pipes, which could cause considerable damage to water supply
equipment.
Some
of the proposed measures include renting high pressure hot water sprayers,
banning the use of live bait, hiring and training recreational staff, and
adopting a new fee ordinance to help accommodate the costs of the measures.
These
measures, including the treatment of the Quagga
Mussel, can be successful and effective, Firestone said.
Recreational
staff also will increase inspections of all incoming boats.
“The
basic important message is that all boats must be clean and dry upon entering
the lake or else we’re going to turn them away,” said William Boyer, Santa
Barbara County communications director.
Additional
provisions include requiring all boats 24 feet long or longer, boats from
Riverside and San Diego Counties, and out of state boats to be quarantined at
the lake for 14 days before being placed in the water.
The
county is anticipating the cost of initial measures spanning fiscal years 2008
and 2009 to total more than $500,000, with three-fourths of the expenditure
occurring after July 1, 2008.
Between
now and the end of the current fiscal year, the county will spend about $90,000
for rental equipment, community outreach and additional staff and training,
Boyer said.
He
added that the county expects the costs to continue into fiscal year 2010.
The
cost significantly decreases after fiscal year 2009, since the county plans to
purchase a boat wash station, which could cost up to $250,000. In the last year
the costs are expected to decrease to approximately $170,000. This figure
includes continuing staffing costs, public outreach and education.
To
help accommodate the additional costs of preventing a possible Quagga infestation, lake fees are expected to go up by $10.
Currently the boat launch fee is $8 and the day use fee also is $8. Boaters
could pay $26 per day instead of $16, an increase of 62.5 percent.
Supervisors
seemed to be in favor of a security boat launch tag system, which would
accommodate local boaters who only visit Cachuma
Lake. For the tag protocol, park staff would attach a security cable to the
boat and the trailer on which it’s mounted and apply a seal to the cable.
“Once
it’s attached it can’t be tampered with or removed without breaking the seal,”
said Dan Hernandez, Santa Barbara County director of parks.
With
the Annual Lake Cachuma Trout Derby right around the
corner, Boyer said that the county is doing what it can to inform boaters about
the new rules.
Though the fee changes will not take effect
until after the derby, the county will be sending out a second mailer to derby
participants informing them about the changes. It will also be placing ads in
“Western Outdoor News” and placing up-to-date information on the county Web
site.
The
Trout Derby, which takes place April 19 and 20, is the largest special event
for the lake.
Boyer
said that during the derby the lake could see as many as 300 boaters.
He
added that, in any given month, approximately 700 boats visit the lake.
County staff will return to the board with an update on
cost-sharing initiatives and a first reading of a fee change ordinance at an
undermined date.