Boaters Heading to Ruth Lake Now Face Mandatory 30-Day Wait if Their Vessel Has Ballast Tanks
Press release from the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District:
The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HBMWD) and the Ruth Lake Community Services District (RLCSD) are jointly announcing the implementation of a mandatory 30-day quarantine program for all watercraft entering Ruth Lake with ballast tanks or other components that cannot be drained. This measure is essential to prevent the introduction of Golden, Zebra, and Quagga mussels which are highly destructive aquatic invasive species that pose a serious threat to our water infrastructure, the lake’s ecosystem, and the region’s long-term water supply.
Why This Matters to Our Community
Ruth Lake is a critical water resource for the Humboldt Bay region. As your water wholesaler, HBMWD’s mission is to safeguard and sustainably deliver clean and reliable water to our community while protecting our natural resources and providing a resilient water supply for present and future generations. Invasive mussels have devastated water systems across the western United States, clogging intake infrastructure, degrading water quality, and costing communities millions of dollars in damage and remediation. Once established, these species are virtually impossible to eradicate. Prevention is our only viable defense.
How the Quarantine Program Works
All watercraft entering Ruth Lake are subject to the following requirements:
- Watercraft Survey. All boat owners and operators must complete a Watercraft Survey form documenting vessel information and recent launch history.
- Physical Inspections. All watercrafts will go through physical inspections to ensure they are completely cleaned, drained, and dried. If watercraft fails inspection, it must go through a mandatory 30-day quarantine.
- 30-Day Quarantine for Ballast Tank Watercraft. Any watercraft with ballast tanks or components that cannot be fully drained (such as wakeboard boats) will automatically fail inspection unless the vessel already carries a BLUE exit band from Ruth Lake. This quarantine period is in lieu of your watercraft going through decontamination.
- Clean, Drain, and Dry. All boaters are reminded to clean their gear, boat, and trailer; drain all bilge, ballast, wells, and buckets; and allow equipment to fully dry before launching in any water body.
Where to Obtain Quarantine Bands
RED quarantine bands are available at the Ruth Lake Marina and Ruth Recreational Campground for $10.00.
For boaters in Humboldt County, quarantine bands are also available at two convenient locations: Reynolds RV (646 Hwy 36, Fortuna) and Pacific Outfitters (1600 5th Street, Eureka). Signage with quarantine instructions will be posted at all major launch and access locations.
A Shared Responsibility
Protecting Ruth Lake is a community effort. We are asking every boater, angler, and lake visitor to do their part. Compliance with the quarantine program is not optional. Failure to comply may result in revocation of boating privileges and potential citation or eviction from the lake. These measures are in place to protect the water supply that serves our entire region, both now and for generations to come.
For More Information
Ruth Lake Community Services District: www.ruthlakecsd.org
California Department of Fish & Wildlife — Golden Mussel Information: wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Golden-Mussel
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Guess they’ll have to anchor their plans for a while.
Maybe float some other plans? Otherwise they may get washed up
it looks like they’re sunk
Similar rules for all watercraft are in Oregon and include kayaks and basically any vessel on any body of water. Even wading boots are on the list. Expect a very thorough inspection when crossing the border pulling a boat/watercraft.
Lake Tahoe is even crazier. Mandatory “clean, drained and dry” for everything short of you, yourself. Regulations go all the way to having to seal your watercraft or hot pressure washing, drying and sealing. Nothing in, nothing out.
We’ve been dealing with boat inspections for ten years or more. Mostly painless if the boat is clean and dry. And cheap if you can keep the blue band on. My biggest problem with that is i can’t do a saltwater launch without going through the whole $35 inspectionn routine; along with the deep cleaning required. Fresh water critters die in salt water, right? Should be a bonus for the making the salt water purge. In a way, it’s a taking of my ability to use my boat as I wish to.
What’s new is “components which can’t be drained.” Then how do these components get dumped to the lake water? It’s drainable or it isn’t. You can’t have it both ways.
I love that the primary target seems to be wake-board boats. Boats specifically designed to create the biggest, most obnoxious wake possible. Up to three feet high. I’ve seen calmer waters off The Cape.
On a small lake, likeRuth, these boats are extrordinarily rude, even dangerous to everyone else on the water or the shore.
Hey- That is our water source for all the towns on the coast! They should just ban all boats. I don’t have a boat so what do I care…Ban all boats on Ruth Lake! Wading boots too! Oh- and floaties must be inspected and regulated….maybe just declare it a reservoir and ban everybody from ever going in there?
Also no peeing within 100yards of the water line, fines up to 1000$ per day and or confiscation of offending boat tube or swim suit.
In San Luis Obispo county, Santa Margarita lake is a fishing only lake like you described. Very controlled except for the cattle that graze around the whole lake. It makes no sense.
My comment was increasingly sarcastic as I wrote it…But- I grew up partly in CT where we had lots of reservoirs that were completely fenced off from all activity. Water supply and water quality reasons. Of course as teenagers we would sneak in at night (sometimes day but that was risky) and skinny dip…The idea of shutting down all of Ruth Lake completely is of course ludicrous and impossible.
Don’t drink water. Fish fuck in it.
It would not bother me one bit if they band speed boats and jet skis. Ruth Lake is just too small to have all these vessels speeding around causing problems and accidents. I would like to see the lake for fishing only with your small aluminum boat or pontoon boat.