Cachuma Lake remains open to boaters

Lake Casitas in Ventura County remains closed to private boaters because of a fear of quagga mussel infestation, but another popular bass-fishing destination will remain open to all comers.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors today voted to allow trailered boats at Cachuma Lake after a thorough pre-launch inspection and high-pressure wash.

As was the case at Casitas before the Casitas Municipal Water District voted three weeks ago to impose a controversial one-year ban, vessels arriving at Cachuma must be clean and dry upon arrival or face quarantine.

Boats longer than 24 feet, those with out-of-state stickers or registered in close proximity to quagga-infested lakes will be quarantined on site for 14 days before being allowed onto the reservoir.

“Before anybody complains about these new procedures and rules, I caution them to stop and consider the alternative,” said Tom Raftican, president of the United Anglers of Southern California, which argued against a ban at both reservoirs. “I bet the folks around Lake Casitas wish they had the opportunity to get in line for inspection and to keep fishing.”

Quagga mussels, which multiply rapidly, clog pipes and alter ecosystems, have infested reservoirs along the Colorado River and appeared in Southland reservoirs fed by the Colorado River aqueduct.

Casitas became the first to ban launching of private boats as a safeguard against accidental introduction, despite objections from the Department of Fish and Game and pleas from anglers and business owners in Ojai and Oak View.

Some on the Casitas board expected its decision to create a domino effect and force the financially strapped DFG to take a more active role in combating the spread of invasive mussels.