A mandatory boat inspection program has begun at Lake Chabot, Del Valle, Contra Loma, and Quarry Lakes. Wet boats, or boats with wet motors or gear, will be denied launching.

• Vessels must be CLEAN and DRY
• Vessels with standing water such as life jackets, ropes, etc., cannot launch. A several-day waiting period will be in effect depending on the time of year. Winter months require longer wait times.
• Current registration is required for all motorized crafts.
• If you have a boat with a trailer you are encouraged to band your boat upon leaving the Regional Park you launched in.
• Inspectors are trained District employees or contractors who may need to enter your boat.

Non-refundable inspection fee is $6 for motorized vessels, $4 for car-top or inflatable. Kayak/car-top inspection fee is good for 30 days from date on receipt, but must be inspected every time. Float tubes and inner tubes are free.

If you do not pass inspection:

• Your boat launch fee will be refunded, and your entry fee will be refunded if you exit the park.
• Trailered vessels not passing inspection will be subject to a five-day quarantine period. For example, not passing on the 1st of the month will require waiting until the 6th for reinspection.
• Trailered bessels not passing must pay another inspection fee when being reinspected.
• Kayak/car-tops not passing inspection will be subject to the 5-day waiting period.

Refunds are given at the main gate. All refunds must occur on the same day as the inspection. All refunds require receipt and inspection form.

Banding Program: For your convenience, we offer a banding program for trailered boats. A tamper-proof band will be placed on all trailered boats exiting on the boat owner's request. Those with banded boats may revisit any East Bay Regional Park District lake and if the band is intact, the boat may launch without an inspection. This service is offered free upon exit. Kayaks, canoes, and rowboats can get a 30-day pass upon inspection. Float tube inspections are free.

The purpose of the boat inspections is it to look for invasive quagga and zebra mussels, which are spread mainly via boats and trailers originating from infected lakes. Veligers, or microscopic larvae, can be spread from standing water or wet surfaces. The mussels reproduce rapidly and destroy water system components along with changing the natural environment of lakes and rivers. Their presence is often devastating to the plant and fish life in the reservoirs. Zebra mussels have been identified at San Justo Reservoir near Hollister, which is less than 90 miles from East Bay Regional Park District lakes. No mussels have been identified in any East Bay bodies of water at this time.

To pass inspection, boats and accessories must ABSOLUTELY be clean and dry. This includes motor (plus outboard motor cooling system), deck, hull, bilge and bait wells, ropes, lines, floats, fishing equipment, trailer, rear of vehicle, personal flotation devices, and any other inflatable watercraft. Boats that fail inspection will not be permitted to launch and must wait five days before returning.

BOAT OWNERS--several boats fail inspection each day and unfortunately are not allowed to launch. The most common reason for failing is water in the outboard motor. DO NOT FLUSH YOUR MOTOR PRIOR TO VISITING THE PARK. Staff recommends allowing at least a five-day waiting period after flushing your motor to give it plenty of time to dry. Double check before leaving home that the motor is dry, many people are surprised that, when asked to lower their motor, water comes out. By contract, inspectors cannot pass these boats to launch. Water in live wells accounts for the second most-common reason for not passing inspection.

The California Department of Fish and Game is the lead agency on these invasive mussels and their status within the State. Visit www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel/ for more information, or call their hotline at 1-866-440-9530.