An inspector can be seen looking for invasive mussels in a boat at a B.C. government inspection station in this undated file photo.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/OBWB-OkWaterWise
October 21, 2023 - 9:00 AM
The Okanagan Basin Water Board is calling for a moratorium on all boats entering the province after invasive and destructive mussels were found in nearby Idaho.
The move, if supported by the government, would mean Albertans and other tourist couldn’t bring their own boats to play in Okanagan Lake.
“We would like for out-of-province boats to be stopped from coming in for a couple of months until more testing can be done. This could also allow the BC Government to address the inspection gaps,” says James Littley of the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
These destructive mussels were recently found in Idaho. While Idaho may seem far, the waters where the invasive mussels were found fall into bigger bodies of water in the states of Oregon and Washington as well as in water streams bordering Canada from British Columbia to Saskatchewan.
Littley confirms that the water chemistry found in the lakes of the Okanagan puts the region especially at risk of an infestation.
Littley highlights gaps in BC’s prevention plan such as the fact that inspections are only required if driving past an open inspection station, the fact that inspections are not consistent at all crossings and there is no requirement to remove drain plugs from boats when out of water. This is why the urgency of a moratorium is being brought forward by the board.
“There’s no requirement to pull your drain plug before you go on the road in BC, so someone from Idaho or Winnipeg could come with water still in their boat, drop that drain plug and potentially dump infested water into our waters.”
The moratorium would be temporary until Idaho officials can confirm if their extermination plan is effective against the mussels and inform officials how far the infestation has spread.
This plan is part of a bigger prevention plan the Okanagan Basin Water Board is putting forward for which they are demanding local governments’ support in hopes the province goes forward with the moratorium.
The plan would cost the province $4 million as opposed to reacting to a mussel infestation which would cost the BC Government approximately $129 million.
On Oct. 18, they presented their plan to the Regional District of North Okanagan, Monday, Oct. 23, they will present to the City of Vernon and they have plans to present this to the City of Peachland, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the Okanagan Nations Alliance Chief Executive Council.
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