News Release

Fill out your “mussel-free” form

Date: June 30, 2021
Contact: Denise Bausch, 509-754-7830

The waters of Washington State, including Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, are a great resource that we are all responsible for. With that in mind, all boaters, including holders of our annual boat launch permit, are required to complete an aquatic invasive species mussel free certification form before launching any watercraft at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. This is part of an on-going campaign to raise awareness of and prevent the introduction of all aquatic invasive species, but particularly quagga and zebra mussels, into Lake Roosevelt and the Columbia River. If your form is not filled out and properly displayed on your tow vehicle dashboard, law enforcement officers will issue a citation.

Aquatic invasive species are easily transported between bodies of water by boats, inflatable kayaks and float toys, fishing waders and tubes, trailers, and any other water gear. Currently, freshwater lakes in Washington, Oregon and Idaho are free of invasive quagga and zebra mussels. Do your part to help prevent the introduction of quagga and zebra mussels by making sure that you CLEAN, DRAIN and DRY all your water gear before launching at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.

The bright pink self-certification forms are available at each boat launch or through our website at: https://www.nps.gov/laro/learn/nature/upload/Zebra-and-Quagga-mussel-certification-reduced-508.pdf. After following the flowchart and completing the form, place it in the windshield of your launch vehicle where it can be easily seen.

If you only boat within Washington State, you only need to complete the form once per season. If you launch your boat outside of Washington State, you will need to complete the form before you launch at Lake Roosevelt again. Watercraft coming from outside of Washington need to be cleaned, drained, and fully dried (dry time may be up to 30 days) or have valid proof of inspection within the last 30 days, before launching at Lake Roosevelt. It is important to remove all dirt, plants and water from boats, trailers, and other water gear prior to launching every time. 

An invasive mussel species native to Ukraine and Russia, quagga/zebra mussels quickly cover most hard surfaces and can clog boat motor intake systems, water intake structures, recreational beaches, agricultural irrigation systems and hydroelectric power plant operations. These small mussels can survive out of the water for up to two weeks and the microscopic larvae can be transported in bilges, ballast water, live wells or other equipment that holds water. Researchers within the Pacific Northwest Economic Region estimate that the economic impact of a mussel infestation would cost the Pacific Northwest $500 million annually.

For more information, check the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area website at www.nps.gov/laro.