
Lake Oroville
Golden Mussels Found During Boat Inspection at Thermalito Forebay, Bass Fishing Hot
OROVILLE - The Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) newly implemented invasive mussel inspection program for State Water Project (SWP) facilities in Oroville uncovered golden mussels attached to a pontoon boat late Wednesday afternoon in Butte County. Staff immediately contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for further inspection and decontamination. The vessel will not be allowed to launch at a DWR reservoir until CDFW confirms that it is free of mussels.
The pontoon had been out of the Delta waters for an unknown period and was purchased Wednesday morning in Stockton by Oroville-area residents who planned to launch the boat at Lake Oroville for the Memorial Day weekend. The boat was brought to DWR’s inspection site at the North Thermalito Forebay where golden mussels ranging in size from approximately 1/8 inch to 3/4 inch were discovered during the inspection.
“We are thankful that DWR’s new inspection program in Oroville caught these highly destructive mussels before they could be introduced to our largest water supply reservoir,” said John Yarbrough, DWR’s Deputy Director of the State Water Project. “Oroville’s reservoirs provide water to the Feather River Fish Hatchery and several municipal water agencies for residential, business, and agricultural use, produce hydroelectric power, and provide flood control. This discovery further highlights the importance of protecting these critical functions through watercraft inspections given the ease with which golden mussels are transported from the Delta.”
DWR’s mussel inspection program in Oroville is underway to protect State Water Project (SWP) infrastructure. Mandatory watercraft inspections are required prior to launching at the Oroville Facilities (Lake Oroville, Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay). DWR’s free mussel inspections are only performed at the North Thermalito Forebay. Watercraft that pass the inspection will receive a seal and can launch during designated ramp hours.
In addition to getting watercraft inspected and sealed, owners should ensure their vessel is in proper working condition prior to launching – check batteries, filters, and fluids, purchase life vests for all occupants, and remember to clean, drain, and dry your vessel prior to launching at a new water body.
Watercraft Inspection Location/Decontamination Services: North Thermalito Forebay at Garden Drive and HWY 70 in Oroville.. Hours of operation: Daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Watercraft inspections and decontamination services at DWR’s Oroville facilities are free. To pass an inspection, watercraft must be clean and 100 percent dry.
Vessels that fail inspection can undergo decontamination where water-containing areas will be flushed with hot (120 F) water to kill mussels and their larvae. Watercraft will then receive a blue Oroville seal and may launch immediately if desired.
If a boat owner chooses not to have their vessel decontaminated, the vessel can be sealed with a red quarantine tag and will not be permitted to launch at the Oroville facilities for a minimum of 30 days. After completing the 30-day quarantine period, the vessel is eligible for launching. Sealed Vessel Launching: All trailered and personal watercraft with an intact blue seal and watercraft with a red seal that have not launched for 30 days will be permitted to launch at the following boat ramp facilities during the hours listed. Boat ramps at the Oroville facilities will no longer be open 24/7. Launching trailered boats or personal watercraft is not allowed at any other location.
When a vessel is leaving the Oroville facilities, staff at designated launch ramps will offer to re-seal all departing watercraft with a blue Oroville seal. During the next visit, sealed Oroville vessels can proceed directly to the ramp to launch where a seal checker will remove the seal. Reinspection is not required as long as the seal is not broken.
Re-entry seals will only be offered to departing vessels during ramp hours. Please plan ahead.
Lake Oroville Reaches Full Capacity: Thanks to warming temperatures and ongoing mountain snowmelt in the Feather River watershed, Lake Oroville reached full capacity this week for the third year in a row, offering ample water recreation and cooling opportunities for visitors. DWR continues to monitor Lake Oroville levels to optimize water storage while meeting environmental requirements and allowing for carryover storage into next year. – DWR
While most of the focus lately has been on the new boat inspection process at Lake Oroville, a few anglers have reported on the excellent bass fishing available on Oroville now.
“We had an epic day at lake Oroville today,” reported Tom Hoy on the Lake Oroville Fishing Reports Facebook Page after his latest trip. “We boated easily over 100 bass between Corey Gendreau and myself. The best five were over 14 inches, with the big fish weighing 4.04 pounds taken by Corey. We hit the bass trifecta with multiple largies and smallies (not me) Corey got three. - I got none. Maybe 6-10 double ups, including the 4 pounder one weighing 2.5 pounds.”