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Board approves $25,000 to support golden-mussel prevention and ramp monitoring
Summary
Facing the newly discovered golden mussel in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, Lake County supervisors approved $25,000 in interim funds to sustain ramp monitors, canine inspections and decontamination capacity while longer-term funding is pursued.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors approved $25,000 March 25 to support the county’s invasive-mussel prevention work during the remainder of the 2024–25 fiscal year. Water Resources invasive-species coordinator Angela DePalma Dow told the board the rapid spread of the newly detected golden mussel in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta has increased inspection and decontamination needs and depleted ramp-monitor hours and available budget earlier than in past seasons.
DePalma Dow said the county has increased hot-water decontaminations, ramp monitoring and canine inspections this spring; canine teams are costly but effective at detecting adult mussels, she said. The state’s quagga/zebra mussel grant program will not fund activities that explicitly reference golden mussels for the 2025 grant cycle, DePalma Dow said, so the county must rely on local funds and alternative state funding routes such as Prop. 1/4 sources and Blue Ribbon Committee support while the county applies for other grants.
Supervisors approved the $25,000 request, noting additional future needs may require larger funding requests for operations, an engineered permanent decontamination station and staffing augmentation. DePalma Dow said staff will continue monitoring and outreach and will pursue additional funding sources to support a durable prevention and response program.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the funding request not-to-exceed $25,000 to support golden-mussel prevention activities (vote: 4-0).
