State Grant Will Help Sonoma Water Continue Invasive Mussel Prevention at Lake Mendocino by Sonoma Water Sep 15, 2026 Member Submitted News SANTA ROSA – Sonoma Water’s Board of Directors today approved accepting a $400,000 grant from the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways to continue Sonoma Water’s invasive mussel prevention program at Lake Mendocino. The two-year grant will fund watercraft inspections and early detection efforts through Oct. 15, 2028. The importance of Sonoma Water’s invasive mussel prevention program was demonstrated on June 26, when a trained mussel detection dog alerted inspectors to the possible presence of invasive mussels on a wakeboard boat attempting to launch at Lake Sonoma. Although inspectors found no visible mussels, the boat was denied access and the owner was directed to have it professionally decontaminated. A water sample collected from the boat yielded laboratory results consistent with the biological markers of golden mussels. “Keeping invasive mussels out of Lake Mendocino protects one of the region’s most important water supplies and recreational resources,” said Rebecca Hermosillo, chair of the Sonoma Water Board of Directors. “This grant allows Sonoma Water to continue a proven program that has protected Lake Mendocino from invasive quagga and zebra mussels for more than a decade.” Sonoma Water began inspecting watercraft at Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma in 2012 using local funding. Since 2020, the Division of Boating and Waterways has helped fund the program through state grants. Sonoma Water operates a similar invasive mussel prevention program at Lake Sonoma, which is funded separately from the Lake Mendocino grant. Every watercraft entering Lake Mendocino must be inspected before launching. Staff conduct visual inspections and, when available, use trained mussel detection dogs. The requirement applies to motorboats, kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. During the inspection, staff ask boaters about recent launch locations and examine vessels for invasive mussels. Boaters are required to arrive with their drain plugs out, and all internal compartments drained. Most inspections take three to five minutes to complete. Golden, quagga and zebra mussels are invasive species that damage aquatic ecosystems and clog water supply and flood protection infrastructure. Once established, they are extremely difficult to eradicate and can cost millions of dollars to manage. Recreational watercraft are the primary way the mussels spread from one body of water to another. Adult golden, quagga and zebra mussels can survive out of water for up to 30 days after attaching to a boat or trailer. If introduced into a reservoir, they can damage water supply facilities, flood protection infrastructure and aquatic habitat while increasing long-term maintenance costs. Boaters should avoid launching in infested waters and check the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s list of infested water bodies before traveling with a watercraft. For more information about the invasive mussel prevention program, visit dontmoveamussel.com.
