Low Down on Inspections @ Powell

[wyoguy]

We just returned from Powell yesterday the 3rd. The Utah DWR has taken over the wash station at Bullfrog. You must be inspected upon leaving the lake, you can either get the walk around type inspection and wait 18 days to launch at another lake or they will decontaminate your boat then and there. There was another officer at the top of the hill at the Park Service fee collection site who checked my receipt for the decon.
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[bone8]

I haven't been to Powell for a while now do I need an inspection before I launch and without giving away any secrets how was fishing any pointers on where to start for stripers and walleyes thanks in advance
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[SBennett]

No pre launch inspection needed, just post launch.
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[wyoguy]

We found walleye in the backs of canyons in the murky or discolored water.15 to 30 ft. The stripers are sometimes in the same area, but not always. They seem to be more scattered. With the water starting to warm it could all change very soon.
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[PapaBaruu]

I too was at Bullfrog this weekend... and basically had to BEG for a wash-down when I left on Saturday PM-
The two youngsters where very nice once they reluctantly submitted to move the barrier cones and spray my boat off- but I couldn't help but wonder why there wasn't half a dozen decon stations open and ready to spray down EVERY boat that was leaving Powell to re-launch at lakes unknown???

I'm afraid that we are all doomed to be dealing with Quagga's in every body of water we fish unless there is a much improved attitude developed by our DWR officials.
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[SBennett]

Wyoguy and I were very lucky to have a good lookin girl that works for the DWR perform inspections on both our boats.
Wyoguy is a good lookin fellow himself so I attribute my luck in the inspection line to him......
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[SBennett]

Gary, I just finished ribbing about 60 walleye fillets.
We all caught a few more than I thought.
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[wyoguy]

Yea Shane, it was a good trip, I hope I can get down at least once more before it gets too hot. That's the most 'eyes I have ever caught bottom bouncing, guess I'm getting the hang of it.

I think that young lady was just doing her job, I'm sure she had no interest in a fat 'ole guy who needed a shower and a shave!
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[PBH]

[quote PapaBaruu]

I'm afraid that we are all doomed to be dealing with Quagga's in every body of water we fish unless there is a much improved attitude developed by our DWR officials.[/quote]

Do you take any responsibility upon yourself?
Or is this just a DWR problem?



My understanding is that boats leaving Powell will be inspected and boaters interviewed. Depending on how you answer the questions, you may or may not be required to have your boat cleaned.

Regardless, boat owners still have a responsibility to assure their boats are mussel free prior to re-launching. If you aren't going to launch your boat again within 18 days, then the DWR should be justified in not cleaning your boat and moving on to the next boat that might be a higher risk.

How many hours are in a day? (Answer = 24)
How long does it take to decon a boat? (Answer = ~10)
How many boats can be cleaned by 1 cleaning station in 1 day? (Answer - 144)
How many boats will be coming off Powell on any given day in the summer??? All at once. Not spread out over 24 hours.


Do the math -- they can't clean every boat coming off that lake. There isn't enough time to do it. Further, how many complaints do you think there would be if every boat had to wait in line to get cleaned at 6:00 pm on a Sunday afternoon in July?? You'd have people lined up until after midnight!

think about the staffing requirements.
think about the equipment.
think about the noise.
think about the lines.



It's a problem. We need to help with a resolution and not just complain.
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[wyoguy]

I simply pulled up to the rack and asked if I could get decontaminated because I planned to fish Willard Bay in the next couple days. She was very nice and took care of it for me. If there isn't more than one person there in a few weeks, they will never keep up with the traffic tho.
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[Fowl-Hook]

Powell is contaminated, any plan directed at containment will clean every boat that leaves contaminated water. Plenty of time and resources to interview every watercraft leaving for 5-15 minutes, forget the interview and spend 30 min decontaminating every water craft.
No problem building entry facilities to collect fees from every vehicle, same location would work well for 10 bay wash down facility for every watercraft leaving.
If 10 ain't enough then 20, decontamination should be mandatory, fast , free and 24-7.
Dozens of decontamination units are scattered across State Park Ramps that get very little use, basically just sitting around looking pretty for the existing token plan.

Forget the simple math and the current plan, if stopping the mussel spread is really important stop them at the source.
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[PapaBaruu]

"Do you take any responsibility upon yourself?"
"Or is this just a DWR problem?"

"It's a problem. We need to help with a resolution and not just complain"

It's not a matter of my sense of "responsibility" that I'm concerned about Mr. PBH... and I don't appreciate your calling it into question- it also wasn't my boat that dumped ballast tanks into Deer Creek infecting that reservoir last year.

The fact is that Powell is infected with a deadly disease.. and allowing watercraft to come and go as they please does little to protect our other waters.

You seem to be comfortable with me visiting a third world country infected with Ebola and then being on the HONOR system to make an appointment with my family physician to have a check up before I stop by your house and visit your family!

We all pay an additional fee now when registering our watercraft in Utah to battle this disease... I would simply ask that our officials don't just collect fees but to also put their "money where the problem is".
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[MACMAN]

I was also at Powell last weekend, Wahweep marina. When pulling out I was approached each day and questioned by one of the 4 Utah DNR employees at the top of either of the 2 ramps. On the last day, I told them I planned to go to Willard within the 18 day dry period. They did not want to wash my boat. I could have probably got them to, but I'm not going to beg. I actually thought it would be easier to get decon in salt lake, but I don't think it's that easy. I need to start calling. I agree that the way it's being handled, every water will be infected in the next 5-10 years. There's only one way to stop the spread. Clean every boat coming off (and maybe birds too)- if it's true these things have such a costly impact, then spend what it takes. Wash bays, a big scalding vat to back into, multiple cleaning stations, whatever it takes. I found a live mussel in a stripers gut cleaning them, maybe you shouldn't be allowed to take whole fish. It's a matter of time, but it won't be on me- I'll postpone my Willard trip if I can't get washed.
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[PBH]

[quote Dog-lover]... decontamination should be mandatory, fast , free and 24-7. [/quote]

I agree with most of your comments. Just not the one quoted above.

[quote PapaBaruu]

It's not a matter of my sense of "responsibility" that I'm concerned about Mr. PBH... and I don't appreciate your calling it into question...[/quote]

I'm glad that you took offense to that! I only wish that MORE boaters would also take offense and take pride in not transporting these mussels! If more of us took this seriously, the problem wouldn't be a problem.

[quote PapaBaruu] The fact is that Powell is infected with a deadly disease.. and allowing watercraft to come and go as they please does little to protect our other waters.
...

We all pay an additional fee now when registering our watercraft in Utah to battle this disease... I would simply ask that our officials don't just collect fees but to also put their "money where the problem is".[/quote]

And, there-in lies the problem.

We have State Legislature, State Parks, State Division of Water Quality, State Division of Wildlife, State Department of Transportation, Federal Park Service (GCNRA), etc., etc.

We have a lot of different organizations, but it seems like you really only have the DWR group working to control this. Sure, those other groups participate at times, but it sure seems like the DWR is being tasked with something that sounds like a "transportation" issue. A "water quality" issue. Where are those departments in all of this?

It won't be long before the private interests that own the water rights and reservoirs determine that the risk is too great. At some point, those groups will take this problem on and implement a solution -- it's not something that I want to have happen. But there will be a time that some reservoirs are shut down to watercraft in an effort to prevent contamination.


the issues pointed out by Papa, as well as many others, are exactly why I called Papa out and asked: "Do you take any responsibility?"

Things are happening the way many of us like, and thus we may just have to resolve this on our own. Time to take responsibility and do something. Clean your boat. If you can't get it professionally cleaned due to whatever reason, then cancel your next trip and allow the mandatory drying time to elapse. Obviously many people won't do this -- But I will.
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