LADWP Invasive Mussels Information

Inspection Overview

To prevent the spread of invasive quagga, zebra, and golden mussels and to protect local impacts to local fisheries, as of April 2026, all boats recreating in Inyo and Mono Counties must be inspected. New ordinances in both counties now require trailered watercraft to be inspected before launching. Launching without an inspection may result in fines, misdemeanor charges, or boat impoundment. All trailered boats entering a waterway in Inyo or Mono Counties must have a free Eastern Sierra Mussel sticker placed on the boat and trailer. 

All boats must be clean, drained, and dried inside and out before inspection. This includes anchors, ropes, life preservers, bait tanks, and hull compartments. Vessels containing water or debris with the potential to harbor mussels are required to undergo decontamination. Additionally, any boats that have been in contaminated waterbodies within the previous month must also be decontaminated. 

Residential and Visitor Sticker

Staff members will issue stickers after inspection. Resident stickers will be issued yearly; Whereas visitor stickers are assigned a color for each month and are valid only for the month displayed. Returning visitors will be issued a new sticker that corresponds with the current month.  

Boat Inspection Procedure

Mussel Prevention Measures for Boat Owners

Boat owners can take the following steps to prevent invasive mussels from spreading when moving their boats to new waters: 

• Inspect boats and trailers thoroughly, and remove any trash, mussels, or aquatic weeds before leaving any water body.
• Mussels and other items removed from the boat should be properly disposed of in a trash container.
• Drain water from the motor, live-well, bilge and transom wells, and any other water from the boat and equipment, before leaving any water body.
• All DRAIN PLUGS must be pulled or opened prior to boat transport.
• Outboard motors can be flushed using outboard flushing devices (i.e. flush muffs). Make sure to leave the motor in the downward position until water drains out completely.
• Wash boats, trailers, and equipment thoroughly with a pressurized power sprayer and hot water.
• Rinse live-wells, bilge and cooling systems with 140°F hot water or a 6% chlorine bleach solution.  
• Dry boats, motors, trailers, and equipment thoroughly in the hot sun for at least two weeks before using them again. 

Crowley Lake

**Crowley Lake Opens for Fishing: April 25, 2026**

For Crowley Lake, boats that have an intact tag from the previous year do not need re-inspection and valid stickers will be issued prior to launching. If a boat has a valid sticker, but the tag is missing or broken from use on other waters in Inyo or Mono Counties, the boat must be reinspected prior to entry. Wakeboard boats with built-in ballast tanks (arriving after fishing opener) that do not have an intact tag from the previous year will automatically require decontamination. Decontamination of wakeboard boats require specialized personnel. We encourage wakeboard boat owners that need decontamination to contact LADWP ahead of time so that specialized personnel can be available at Crowley Lake upon arrival. Please call 760-873-0409. 

All trailered watercraft planning to launch at Crowley Lake must enter through the main gate at the South Landing for inspection. No boat access will be available at any other area of Crowley Lake. Non-motorized vessels that are not trailered may be launched at other accessible areas outside of the South Landing launch ramp. 

Crowley Lake Inspection Locations

Crowley Lake or Vons Parking Lot (1190 N. Main St. Bishop, CA 93514)

Crowley Lake Inspection Schedule

Klondike Lake

**Klondike Lake Opens for Boating: May 22, 2026**

Klondike Lake Inspection Schedule

May 22- September 7, 2026 
At the main gate from 9-10am Friday, Saturday and Sunday  

Klondike Lake, from May 22 to September 7, 2026, will be open for limited public boating use and fishing on weekends only: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9 a.m. to sunset. Boat access to Klondike Lake is free this summer.

All boats are required to have a free Eastern Sierra Golden Mussel Collective sticker. Visit the Bishop Inspection Station at 620 South Main Street, Bishop, CA 93514 prior to your first trip to Klondike to get the 2026 Mussel Collective sticker for the season. Hours are 7 days a week 6:30am to 3pm. Expected to be open through October. There is no charge for the sticker and visitors can get a complimentary wash. After watercrafts have been inspected and granted access, visitors can enjoy the lake all day.
 

Invasive Mussels History

Invasive mussels, which include quagga and zebra mussels, are small shellfish that were first introduced into the Great Lakes area in 1988 by cargo ships traveling from Eastern Europe. They quickly spread to 12 states within ten years and have since spread through the Metropolitan Water District’s (MWD) Colorado River Aqueduct to reservoirs in Southern California. 

Golden mussels were introduced to the Port of Stockton in October 2024, likely via ship travelling from an international port. Golden mussels can also colonize streams and sandy substrates, making establishments in lotic waters upstream and downstream of Crowley Lake a concern.  

Monitoring sites at LADWP facilities in Inyo and Mono counties have tested negative for these types of mussels. There is currently no way to eradicate these invasive mussels, therefore preventing them from becoming established is key.