NoDon't know how to get the message to John Steffan - I pulled my direct drive out on Saturday morning and went to have it decontaminated since in all liklihood I'll be boating before the 30 days is up. The techs at the Bullfrog station didn't seem to believe me when I stated all the lakes up north want 30 days drytime for my boat (I forgot to mention due to unverifiable water)....they wanted to stick to the 18 days for all boats. Ultimately they decon'd my boat. This isn't a big deal to me - but this early in the season, there might need to be a bit more education on the part of the techs, just to avoid issues.
QM Decontamination at Bullfrog
- Thread starter wayne gustaveson
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Unfortunately John Steffan moved on to a different job. His replacement turned in her resignation last month as well. When the Bullfrog position is filled one more time I will let them know that the website is available for boaters to converse directly with the enforcement staff. As the position is refilled we will be able to have these meaningful conversations once more.
The techs are kind of on their own right now but that will hopefully change soon.
The techs are kind of on their own right now but that will hopefully change soon.
We were there at 7:55 in the morning, in a hurry to return to Denver for a family event, but wanted to use our boat in Colorado before we return to Powell, so wanted to have the decontamination. We were told it would take 20 minutes. Then it turned out that there was "something wrong with the machine". The techs were new - all of 7 days on the job and no idea what the issue was. Further discussion revealed that "Oh, you want to use the boat in Colorado?" (Colorado plates are a good hint), Colorado doesn't accept our decontamination, they will do it before you launch at the next lake you go to. Seriously, we were in a hurry, only waiting the 20 minutes so we could use the boat at a lake other than Powell...... Both techs were polite and well meaning, but definitely were not provided with the training they need to be successful.
Dave I.
Escalante-Class Member
I have looked into becoming a decontamination spot here in Hanksville, UT and have talked with both John & Tracy (John's replacement), but the problem is getting enough people together to have a class set up for the training. Hope they get a replacement soon and maybe they can get a class together.
last wild human
Active Member
any advice for kayaks , we always clean any mud off and try to dry them before loading up for the trip home .
PBH
Well-Known Member
Yes: observe the Clean, Drain, Dry rules: 7 days in the Summer, 18 days fall and spring, 30 days winter.
http://stdofthesea.utah.gov/
It doesn't matter if it is a kayak (float tube, personal pontoon, canoe, inflatable raft, etc.) or a fishing boat, you still have to observe the rules of having your vessel cleaned or wait the mandatory # of days prior to launching on another body of water.
If you use the kayaks elsewhere in Utah, you might want to look into completing the Mussel Aware Boater Program for Utah (info contained in link above)
last wild human
Active Member
thanks for that info , i took the course passed , i wonder if a rag soaked with bleach was used to clean would help , i sure as heck don't want to take any thing home. and we will do what ever it takes.
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157 boats found with quagga mussels, 17 people cited after holiday weekend at Lake Powell
SALT LAKE CITY — Law enforcement officers and technicians for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources had a busy Fourth of July weekend working to prevent invasive quagga mussels from spreading.
A total of 210 boats were decontaminated at stations in the Lake Powell area and Kanab from Saturday to Sunday. During those decontaminations, mussels were discovered on 157 of the boats.
A total of 210 boats were decontaminated at stations in the Lake Powell area and Kanab from Saturday to Sunday. During those decontaminations, mussels were discovered on 157 of the boats, giving a stark reminder of why boaters must have their boats decontaminated when leaving Lake Powell. 17 people received citations (misdemeanor and rule violations) for either not stopping for inspections or for transporting their boat with the plug still in.
“We are doing everything we can to protect Utah’s water infrastructure,” Scott Dalebout, the DWR statewide operations lieutenant said. “This isn’t just about preventing damage to boats — this is about making sure these invasive species don’t spread to other waterbodies where they will get into water pipelines and cause millions of dollars in damage to Utah’s water infrastructure. Every Utahn should absolutely be committed to doing what they can to prevent these mussels from spreading.”
The quagga situation at Lake Powell has worsened this year, due to the rising lake levels which have caused previously exposed mussels to dislodge and float in the water. That means that significantly more boats are leaving Lake Powell with mussels and shells onboard their vessels, sucked into sea strainers, or on anchors and in compartments compared to last year.
There are currently over 40 decontamination stations throughout the state. Before the Fourth of July weekend, additional stations, staff and law enforcement were established at Lake Powell and the surrounding areas. These additional resources will be implemented again during other busy holiday weekends this year, as well.
Boaters should remember that they must receive a decontamination before leaving Lake Powell. Visit the DWR website for a list of all the decontamination stations around the state.
WHY ARE QUAGGA MUSSELS SO BAD?
SALT LAKE CITY — Law enforcement officers and technicians for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources had a busy Fourth of July weekend working to prevent invasive quagga mussels from spreading.
A total of 210 boats were decontaminated at stations in the Lake Powell area and Kanab from Saturday to Sunday. During those decontaminations, mussels were discovered on 157 of the boats.
A total of 210 boats were decontaminated at stations in the Lake Powell area and Kanab from Saturday to Sunday. During those decontaminations, mussels were discovered on 157 of the boats, giving a stark reminder of why boaters must have their boats decontaminated when leaving Lake Powell. 17 people received citations (misdemeanor and rule violations) for either not stopping for inspections or for transporting their boat with the plug still in.
“We are doing everything we can to protect Utah’s water infrastructure,” Scott Dalebout, the DWR statewide operations lieutenant said. “This isn’t just about preventing damage to boats — this is about making sure these invasive species don’t spread to other waterbodies where they will get into water pipelines and cause millions of dollars in damage to Utah’s water infrastructure. Every Utahn should absolutely be committed to doing what they can to prevent these mussels from spreading.”
The quagga situation at Lake Powell has worsened this year, due to the rising lake levels which have caused previously exposed mussels to dislodge and float in the water. That means that significantly more boats are leaving Lake Powell with mussels and shells onboard their vessels, sucked into sea strainers, or on anchors and in compartments compared to last year.
There are currently over 40 decontamination stations throughout the state. Before the Fourth of July weekend, additional stations, staff and law enforcement were established at Lake Powell and the surrounding areas. These additional resources will be implemented again during other busy holiday weekends this year, as well.
Boaters should remember that they must receive a decontamination before leaving Lake Powell. Visit the DWR website for a list of all the decontamination stations around the state.
WHY ARE QUAGGA MUSSELS SO BAD?
- They can plug water lines, even lines that are large in diameter.
- If they get into water delivery systems in Utah, it will cost millions of dollars annually to remove them and keep the pipes free, which would likely result in higher utility bills.
- They remove plankton from the water, which supports fish species in Utah.
- Mussels can get into your boat’s engine cooling system. Once they do, they’ll foul the system and damage the engine.
- When mussels die in large numbers, they stink. The sharp shells of dead mussels can cut your feet as you walk along the beaches.
Yesterday. (Labor day) arguably one of the busiest days of the year for boaters at Lake Powell. No decontamination at the State line ramp at all. At Wahweap there was a line and wait for over 2 hours. 2 lanes to spray boats off, but only one working. One poor lady working her tail off and one guy doing paperwork. 4 other portable decon units sat idle, and the extra bay! Happy to send the video to anyone. Not sure what happened here? Staff got sick, poor planning, or what, but based on that we are all paying more for aquatic invasives now on our boat stickers this should have been handled better.
PBR
Well-Known Member
I came out of Bullfrog yesterday at noon. Only took about 20 minutes to get our boat tagged and on the road. The ranger that was directing everyone on what line to go to showed me the counter she was using to count the boats they where going through that day. I was number 1807.
If they are planning a pipeline to draw millions of gallons of water out of Lake Powell to a reservoir in St. George, can someone please explain to me how that's not going to spread a lot more mussel-contaminated water than the half gallon of water in each boat that leaves Lake Powell? Maybe it's time to admit that this nature and it's going to run it's course no matter how much soap and hot water people put on their boats. Also, the 30 day "dry time" is a joke. My Bravo Three outdrives would leak water every time I lowered them, even if it had been months in storage.
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