Truckee Municipal Code Ch. 14.01 Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention

The purpose of this ordinance is to protect all native and desired aquatic species and aquatic habitat in all water bodies within the Town of Truckee by preventing the introduction and spread of Aquatic Invasive Species.

Aquatic Invasive Species potentially pose a significant and imminent threat to the water bodies within the Town of Truckee and have already created serious and irreparable harm to bodies of water located in other locations in the United States and California. Once introduced into a water body, Aquatic Invasive Species can proliferate at an alarming rate, drastically altering the ecosystem of that water body, harming and/or consuming native species and food resources within the ecosystems they infest. Additionally, Aquatic Invasive Species potentially pose a significant and imminent threat to water distribution and sewer collection and treatment infrastructure.

Water vessels entering water bodies within the Town of Truckee from other areas of the state and country may have recently been launched in infested counties or waters, making those vessels at high risk to carry Aquatic Invasive Species into water bodies within the Town of Truckee. A mandatory screening and inspection program for such vessels is integral to the preservation of the water bodies and water distribution systems within the Town of Truckee.

Aquatic Invasive Species are aquatic animals and plants that have been introduced into waterways in which they do not live naturally and have harmful effects on the natural resources in these ecosystems and the human uses of these resources. For purposes of this chapter, Aquatic Invasive Species include but are not limited to invertebrates such as New Zealand Mudsnails, Quagga Mussels, and Asian Clam; plants such as Eurasian Watermilfoil, Hydrilla, and Curly Leaf Pondweed; and warm water fishes.

The transport or introduction of Aquatic Invasive Species into any water body within the Town of Truckee prohibited. Further, the launch of any watercraft contaminated with Aquatic Invasive Species into any water body within the Town of Truckee is prohibited.

1. All motorized and/or trailered watercraft, and other watercraft having water ballast tanks, shall undergo a mandatory self-inspection prior to launching into any Town of Truckee water body to detect the presence and prevent the introduction of Aquatic Invasive Species. The self-inspection shall occur: (a) prior to a watercraft being launched into a water body within the Town of Truckee for the first time in a season, unless the watercraft bears a current-season Lake Tahoe inspection sticker; and/or (b) if the watercraft has been in any body of water outside the Town of Truckee other than Lake Tahoe. Prior to a watercraft without a current-season Lake Tahoe inspection sticker being launched into a body of water within the Town of Truckee for the first time in a season, the owner or operator of the watercraft shall submit a self-inspection form to the Town of Truckee and obtain an inspection sticker for the watercraft. The self-inspection forms for watercraft which have been in other bodies of water (other than Lake Tahoe) shall be kept in the watercraft and produced upon request of the Town of Truckee or its designee. All watercraft may be subject to an inspection prior to entering water bodies within the Town of Truckee if determined necessary by Town of Truckee or its designee.

2. All watercraft self-inspected or inspected pursuant to subsection (1) shall be subject to decontamination or quarantine for a period if the self-inspection or inspection reveals contamination by Aquatic Invasive Species. A watercraft shall launch only if: the required decontamination is performed and completed by a certified individual pursuant to standards and requirements for Aquatic Invasive Species imposed by the Town of Truckee or its designee.

3. An owner operator of a boat ramp or other boat launch facility (inclusive of single family residences) shall not permit the launching of watercraft which have not been submitted to self-inspections or inspections required by subsection (1) and/or which have not undergone required decontamination or quarantine.

4. Affidavit of Compliance: At the time of the self-inspection or inspection, the watercraft owner/operator shall be required to execute an affidavit which attests to the responsibility of that owner/operator to ensure that his/her watercraft is clean, drained and dry and properly screened, re-screened, inspected, and, if necessary, decontaminated prior to launching in any water body within the Town of Truckee. The affidavit shall be signed under penalty of perjury.

5. No watercraft owner/operator shall provide false, inaccurate, or misleading information to inspection personnel.

6. A watercraft owner or operator may refuse to perform the self-inspection or consent to the inspection required by this chapter. If the watercraft owner or operator refuses to perform the self-inspection or consent to inspection, the launch of that watercraft in any water body within the Town of Truckee is prohibited. No person shall launch or attempt to launch in any such water body a vessel for which inspection has been refused.

All watercraft determined to need a decontamination are subject to a fee for the provision of the decontamination service. The schedule of fees shall be established and adopted by Tahoe Resource Conservation District.

A violation of any regulation set forth in this Chapter shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1.03 of this Code (Administrative Remedies) and this chapter shall be enforced by Town Code Compliance personnel, Police Department personnel, or any other Town staff authorized to do so.

Any violation of this chapter is additionally declared to be unlawful and a public health nuisance and may be abated by authorized personnel of the Town of Truckee or its designee, irrespective of any other remedy provided by law.

(Ord 2020-03; 05/12/2020)