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Go Back   WakeWorld > >> Boats, Accessories & Tow Vehicles Archive > Archive through July 28, 2009

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Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-10-2009, 12:18 PM Reply   
Went to the lake the other night and emptied my ballast bags right in front of the people and showed them that they were empty and they recommended that I take the boat to a dealer and have it decontaminated. Here's the paper that they gave me. I didn't argue, the lady seriously had no clue what she was talking about and they still tagged my boat as safe for when I return but I thought I would pass this along to everyone.

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Old     (dizzyj)      Join Date: Jul 2003       07-10-2009, 12:52 PM Reply   
wow, thats crazy.
Old     (brett564)      Join Date: Jul 2006       07-10-2009, 12:56 PM Reply   
Wow...

Unbelievable
Old     (micah)      Join Date: Mar 2008       07-10-2009, 1:03 PM Reply   
Timmy, Is that for Chatfield or Cherry Creek. I've had my boat at Chatfield the last 6 weekends and when they ask if I have ballast or not I tell them no and that's that. The reason I tell them no is because it has been at the same lake the entire summer and they really don't have a clue. Plus what a hassle to go through when you know your boat is clean and has been in the same water all summer.
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-10-2009, 1:10 PM Reply   
This was at Boyd. I've been to Boyd 3 or 4 times now I think and this was the first time that they have given me this sheet. Like I said, I had the ballast bags out of the boat and showed them that they were empty and told her that was all of the ballast I had. Part of the problem is the training they receive, I'm sure some of these people have no clue what ballast is, what it's used for or even what they are inspecting for!
Old     (kraig)      Join Date: Dec 2002       07-10-2009, 2:40 PM Reply   
I haven't had a problem yet Timmy. They usually see how clean my boat is and say it's good. Not saying that that is the best for them to be doing, but it gets me on the water faster. I was told they are mainly looking for really dirty boats like fishing boats that don't get cleaned often. I've told them that I don't have ballast either a time or two. However, when I have said that I do it never seems to matter. Run the bilge, no water, no problem.

Timmy, when we ridin???
Old     (wake26)      Join Date: Mar 2009       07-10-2009, 3:14 PM Reply   
I have been to both boyd and horsetooth alot this summer and have never had a problem as soon as I tell them that I have ballast but no pumps it really confuses them then I have to explain to them how my ballast works. but for the most part they have been easy to work with.
Old     (havasu4life)      Join Date: Aug 2008       07-10-2009, 4:20 PM Reply   
the inspection station crossing from AZ to Cali are doing the same thing. We towed our boat back, they made us get out and empty everything. Funny thing is that the boat had been sitting in a garage for like 2 months...not a drop of water.

The lady was very rude and just liken your inspector did not know anything.

my dad told her "we probably keep our boat cleaner than your house" hahah

just thought i'd share
Old     (jetskiprosx)      Join Date: Aug 2004       07-10-2009, 5:44 PM Reply   
We got stopped and checked going into Cali from Oregon last month. They asked if we had ballast, I said no. They took a flashlight and looked around and under the boat and then waived us through haha
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-10-2009, 5:59 PM Reply   
I haven't had a problem getting INTO the lake, my boat is usually spotless and I just show them the ballast bags are empty and we're good to go. This was EXITING the lake to get a tag to come back to it!!!! Seriously - the water is from their own lake!?!?!?

Kraig - I don't know when we will finally get to ride, last week of July or the first of August maybe?
Old     (ottog1979)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-11-2009, 10:16 AM Reply   
I'll be one of the first to say that getting an inspection is a pain in the ass. But I spent Memorial Day weekend at Lake Mead for the first time in several years. It was quagga city - EVERYWHERE. What a pain in the ass! Cutting your feet, on your anchor when you pull it up, etc. Made it hard to walk around the beach & in & out of boat. It was like stepping on broken glass. I found a few quaggas stuck to the underside of my swim platform at home a week later. Besides, when your ballast bags are empty, there's still plenty of water inside.

While ultimately I think that infestation is inevitable despite all attempts, I don't blame any of the agencies from trying hard. Spend time at any lake that is infested and you'll understand.
Old     (talltigeguy)      Join Date: Sep 2003       07-11-2009, 11:28 AM Reply   
I am amazed that first off they don't consider how long the Mussels can live out of the water. I am sure Andy's quagga was dead on the bottom of his swimstep within a day or two.

I am also amazed that they don't seem to discriminate where you have been. Returning to the same lake over and over and having to be dry is ridiculous.

I know that no matter how many times I do it, I will spit out a little burp of water every time I turn on the ballast pump. I don't know how long it takes to dry out, but I would guess it would be weeks before that little urp does not come out when I turn on the ballast pumps.

The bottom line is that these places have clearly come to the conclusion that people cannot be trusted. Being treated like a liar if I say I have never been in an infected lake is a real bummer. As of right now, our local lake has a list of places that require decontamination, and if you have not been there, then no worries. That is in Utah.

I am sure that they have the ducks wash their feet off with 140 degree water in the spring so they do not bring the larvae during migration.

I agree...it is inevitable.
Old     (ottog1979)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-11-2009, 1:19 PM Reply   
Swim step quagga was dry as a pebble & quite dead.
Old     (waterzomby)      Join Date: Aug 2006       07-11-2009, 3:48 PM Reply   
Here in Idaho this year we had to purchase a $10 Invasive species fund sticker to be displayed next the the registration sticker. $50 ticket if you don't have it. Haven't seen any of the inspection stations they claim the $10 will pay for yet......

http://www.agri.state.id.us/Categories/Environment/InvasiveSpeciesCouncil/indexInvSpCouncil.php
Old     (jtnz)      Join Date: Sep 2007       07-12-2009, 4:31 PM Reply   
The only tool we have is 140 degree water??

What about chlorine? There are probably a number of things that will wipe them out.
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-12-2009, 8:40 PM Reply   
Andy, that sucks that they are that bad at Mead! I saw a picture of a clump that someone posted but I didn't realize they were that bad. Chlorine will definitely kill them but it will also kill all of the fish and everything else in the lake.
Old     (tj_in_kc)      Join Date: Jan 2008       07-13-2009, 7:05 AM Reply   
you can wash your boat at the car wash using high pressure/hot water to kill them, and let the boat dry before the next outing which also kills them.

What I am concerned about is that people think there is no way to kill them when in fact they are a living thing, and there are a lot of ways:
1) Regular old water above 104 degrees F kills them.
2) A mild Water/Bleach solution kills them.
3) Water/KCL solution kills them.
4) Drying the boat out kills them.

They have even proved that zebra mussels can be eradicated from a totally infested lake after the fact using Potassium Chloride (KCL).

Here is the EPA write up about the successful eradication that was done in 2006 at Millbrook.

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/zebramussels/
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-13-2009, 7:29 AM Reply   
Great article tj! Thanks for posting that up!
Old     (srock)      Join Date: Mar 2002       07-13-2009, 7:40 AM Reply   
Will zebra mussels survive in warmer water? I've seen them in Wisconsin. What a mess.
Old     (epic1)      Join Date: Oct 2006       07-13-2009, 6:37 PM Reply   
seems like they thrive just about anywhere. Inspections at Larimer county lakes(carter horse tooth) were much more stringent than Colorado State Parks.
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-13-2009, 9:00 PM Reply   
I think it varies on when you are there! Horsetooth was the easiest for me! All they had me do was pull the drain plug and asked if my ballast was empty, didn't ask to see it or anything.
Old     (duffy)      Join Date: Feb 2006       07-14-2009, 6:44 AM Reply   
Zebra Mussels are Awesome! As a kid we would swim in the Ohio River and it was pretty nasty. But because of Zebra Mussels it's really clean now. I couldn't believe it when I rode there. You guys need to get all the facts! There are pros and cons to everything. Zebra Mussels have a positive impact as well. There are alot worse things out there than Zebra Mussels...
Old     (srock)      Join Date: Mar 2002       07-14-2009, 7:04 AM Reply   
That is true, they sure filter the water. However, many non-native species are a real problem.
Old     (reconabe)      Join Date: Jun 2007       07-14-2009, 8:47 AM Reply   
whats so funny about that is all of the private ramps on boyd. Most of those "inspectors" are clueless. I live on the lake and I NEVER get inspected.
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-14-2009, 8:49 AM Reply   
I was wondering about that. We were looking at a house on the North East side there and it has access to one of those ramps. No inspections for the private ramp folks!?!?! That's hilarious! I've seen your boat out there a time or two.
Old     (tj_in_kc)      Join Date: Jan 2008       07-14-2009, 9:11 AM Reply   
your right, they do a really good job of filtering the water.

i think the problem is that they are too good, and eat all of the nutrients in the water.

all your minnows die.

when the minnows die, the small fish die.

when the small fish die, the big fish die.

the turtles die. you end up with a lake with no wildlife because the non-native species has destroyed the food chain.

then when the water becomes really clear sunlight starts penetrating the water further. you end up with tons of moss/algae/lillys that grow up all over the lake.

also millions of these mussels die and wash up on shore and coat the bottom of the lake. supposedly they are really sharp and make it really painful to be in the shallow water without shoes.


this is my understanding of why its a problem.
Old     (epic1)      Join Date: Oct 2006       07-14-2009, 9:15 AM Reply   
i thought they build up on surfaces like the inside of penstock pipes and the like. Did not know they killed off native spieces.
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-14-2009, 10:18 AM Reply   
just like tj said, they do more than just clog up things and clean out the lake, they interrupt the food chain! If they had a natural predator here, they could all live in harmony together but since they don't, they just take over!
Old     (dppaneig)      Join Date: Feb 2008       07-14-2009, 11:53 AM Reply   
Funny you posted this timmy, I was going to do the same. The ranger was asking me a bunch of questions on how to inject 140 degree water into the tanks. Couldn't they just inject the water through the overflow so they do not damage the pumps?

Some of these inspectors have never experienced our boats before and I think educating them and boat owners will make this process much easier.

The inspectors at our lakes are really cool and actually afraid to damage your boat. I just make sure I use a shop vac on my tanks to get any excess water out.
Old     (jtnz)      Join Date: Sep 2007       07-14-2009, 3:52 PM Reply   
"Chlorine will definitely kill them but it will also kill all of the fish and everything else in the lake"

Not in the lake, just to rinse your ballast tanks. They're not heating the lake to 140 degrees...
Old     (bill_sloan)      Join Date: Nov 2007       07-15-2009, 5:00 PM Reply   
And every inspector pretty much has a different idea on how to do they're inspection. They also are mostly clueless on the different boat types.
Old     (malibu)      Join Date: Sep 2004       07-16-2009, 10:49 AM Reply   
I bought my Idaho sticker and just got back from a trip in north Id with our boat. We were inspected twice. Once at a campground on the St. Joe River and once on our way to Dowrshack Res. near Lewiston. We were on the highway and a sign said that all vehicles pulling boats had to stop. We have been taking that trip for 12 years and have never been stopped until now. They are getting serious about the mussles.
Old     (water_junky)      Join Date: Jul 2009       07-20-2009, 1:39 PM Reply   
Check out this page from Utah on killing mussels in ballast tanks using a KCL solution which I think is much easier and safer then trying to get 140+ water into your tanks. http://wildlife.utah.gov/quagga/pdf/boat_inspection.pdf

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