OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. —“Keep Tahoe Blue” may not be the most common bumper sticker in California, but it’s certainly one of them.

And for good reason. Californians treasure the giant lake for its clarity, its spectacular vistas and the countless memories made here.

But an onslaught of invading species threatens the plants and creatures that have made Tahoe their home for ages. The newcomers gobble up food sources that would otherwise go to native species like the cutthroat trout. And they spew out waste that threatens the lake’s acclaimed clarity.

The golden mussel threatens Tahoe

Government resource managers have intensified their efforts this summer to prevent non-native mussels from entering the lake. Beginning in 2008, boats trailered to Tahoe have been required to undergo inspections for prolific quagga mussels, which have caused vast damage in the Great Lakes, Lake Mead and other places.

But the discovery late last year of another species, the golden mussel, in the Sacramento River Delta has redoubled concern. The golden mussels, native to Asia, are even heartier and more prolific than their quagga cousins.

The tiny creatures grow up to 2 inches in length, and have already proved their ability to spread. They have been detected in Quail Lake in Los Angeles County. And inspectors at Alpine Meadows found a single live golden mussel on the drive shaft of a boat bound for Tahoe at the end of May.

Allowed to proliferate, the mussels will thoroughly encrust docks, boats and other hard surfaces, requiring cleanups that easily run into millions of dollars.

Clean, drain, dry: Boat inspections ramp up

“These golden mussels are an extreme threat to Tahoe and other waters in this area,” said Dennis Zabaglo, aquatic invasive species program manager for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

The agency oversees a program that inspects every boat that wants to launch in Lake Tahoe. With the emergence of golden mussels last fall, inspectors now also decontaminate the hulls, engines and bilges of all incoming watercraft.

Boats previously launched in mussel-infested waters, such as Lake Mead or Lake Powell along the Colorado River, will also have their ropes, buoys and life vests decontaminated.

Luckily, the process is easy and nontoxic: a thorough flushing with hot water kills all the invasive mussel species and their eggs. There is also a mantra among the boating community in Tahoe and beyond: Clean, drain and dry. That process kills off the unwanted invaders.

Boats that have been properly cleaned get a wire seal connecting their trailer and boat to prove the vessel has not been launched in any other body of water. Without that seal, boat ramp operators will not allow watercraft into Tahoe.

‘Nothing is prettier than Tahoe’

At three inspection stations near Lake Tahoe, most boat owners said they appreciate the intense inspections and decontamination, which take from 20 minutes to an hour and cost $145 to $175.

“It’s not like we’re tree huggers,” said Haley Finn, as her family’s sleek ski boat was checked out Sunday at an inspection station in Alpine Meadows. “But we want them to do what it takes to keep Tahoe clean and nice.”

Matt Bromage, a tech engineer from San Jose, felt the same way.

“I think what they are doing is great,” said Bromage, whose 27-foot sailboat, the Great Escape, was getting the once-over. “I don’t know a lot of the specifics of the non-native organisms. But I’m in favor of any actions that are trying to keep the lake and nature beautiful.”

Finn, who builds custom homes with her husband, Corey, echoed a sentiment of many passing the inspection.

“Nothing is prettier than Tahoe. I don’t care what anybody says. And we want to keep it that way.”

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