'We already know they're going to close it down," one angler said to others milling outside the Lake Casitas bait shack Tuesday afternoon. "Why else would they be sending cops to the meeting?"

Grumbling and more grumbling.

Then it was off to the Casitas Municipal Water District's hearing at an Ojai high school, where the board of directors did indeed, after three hours of testimony, impose a one-year ban on the launching of private boats onto the popular Ventura County reservoir.

Police officers were not needed -- about 250 opponents, mostly anglers but also area residents concerned about economic ramifications, merely walked dejectedly through meeting hall doors and into the cold night.

At issue was the risk of accidental transport into Lake Casitas of destructive quagga mussels, recent arrivals in the West, infesting reservoirs fed by the Colorado River.

And there seemed little doubt, during or after the proceedings, that the five-member board had reached a majority decision beforehand.

Thousands of anglers are now canceling plans to visit one of the world's premier trophy largemouth bass fisheries.

Oak View, the community closest to the lake, will suffer hardship along with businesses in nearby Ojai.

Casitas Lake Recreation Area, solely dependent on user fees, will lose $220,000 in annual entry fees alone.

Moreover, the board's decision might set into motion a domino effect. Representatives from Cachuma Lake, Castaic Lake and Diamond Valley Lake attended the hearing.

Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, in Santa Barbara County, could face a similar mandate beginning Tuesday, when a multi-agency board meets.

So suddenly, because of a mere threat -- albeit a daunting threat -- significant recreational opportunities are disappearing or jeopardized.

One area resident pleaded to the Casitas board, saying he fishes only at the reservoir; that he recently retired and bought a boat, and that he has anticipated his retirement dream just as a child awaits summer vacation.

"What am I going to do when you close this lake?" he said.

But the board stated unequivocally that the 60,000-plus water users, not the 750,000 annual park visitors, are their chief priority.

It's worth noting that the park has rental skiffs and limited storage spaces, thus some anglers and guides were able to store bass boats before Tuesday and can use them as long as they remain in the park.

The board also pointed out that costs for repairs and treatment, which would be inevitable and perpetual if the mussels get in, would be passed to non-angling users.

Of 25 people who spoke at the meeting, only four favored a ban.

So did the Casitas board make the correct decision by banning private boats for what could end up being an indefinite period?

The answer would be yes if it could ensure that a ban would prevent quagga mussels, or their close relatives, zebra mussels, from entering the reservoir.