This page reflects the current plans for the measures to be taken to address the Golden Mussel Infestation first encountered in the Stockton Delta. Since then the mussels have spread to dozens of locations, please assume any waterway is contaminated.
Do NOT launch your watercraft if it has been anywhere other than Combie unless you have taken the steps described here.
By June, all watercraft will be required to display a Combie ONLY sticker. This sticker will be required to launch at any location on Lake Combie.
There will be an initial roll out of stickers for watercraft that have been dedicated to Lake Combie. That will happen in May. We expect to collect signatures, CF numbers, and issue stickers at the LCA meeting on May 17th. Details for the picnic can be found at https://www.lakecombielca.com/news-information .
If you cannot make the picnic, there will be other registration events on May 24th and May 31st from 10 AM until noon.
On the Nevada county side, on both dates, the location is the same location as the LCA Picnic, 13209 Robles Drive (end of the big cove on the Nevada county side).
On the Placer side, on the 24th, we will be at Linda Hothem’s, 2486 Los Robles Rd. (the cove just Southwest of the Rod and Gun Club). On May 31st, we will be at Phil Estes’, 17595 Lakeview Hills Rd., (up the river beyond the Rod and Gun Club). Please register in the county you reside on.
If you cannot make any date, please email sticker@lakecombielca.com . A representative will need to arrange a time when you are available in June.
Please note: DO NOT bring your boat on a trailer to launch any registration event. Come by in a boat by water or come by car and walk down to the dock on the lake to get processed. Bring the CF number(s) of the watercraft(s) that require a Sticker. We will process a form for each watercraft and NID will enter it into their records.
Mussel Decontamination and COMBIE ONLY Sticker
Watercrafts that have been on ANY body of water other than Lake Combie must go through an approved decontamination process and display a Combie ONLY sticker before launching. Boats operating on Lake Combie must display a COMBIE ONLY sticker which is obtained after proof of decontamination by registering with the LCA or MV R&G club.
Step 1
Decontamination
This is CRITICALLY important. Assume ANY waterway is contaminated, as it may well be. There are two decontamination processes:
A. Obtain Blue Tag from NID (cost - FREE):
This process involves an initial inspection, installing a Red Tag, followed by a 30-60 day quarantine period. After the quarantine, NID will provide a Blue Tag,
or
B. Decontamination through an APPROVED service provider (est. cost $95-$170):
This method allows vessels to be launch without a quarantine period. The ONLY approved providers of this service are located at Lake Berryessa, Lake Tahoe, and Rollins Lake. Reservations are likely required.
Combie is leveraging the process used at Rollins and Scott's Flat. Please refer to https://www.nidwater.com/nevada-irrigation-district-mussel-prevention-program for specific information on the decontamination procedures for either option.
Step 2
Combie ONLY Sticker
After June 1st, All motorized watercraft operating on Lake Combie must display a Combie ONLY sticker.
If you are not a member of the MV R&G club and were unable to obtain a sticker in May, a sticker can be obtained through the LCA by leaving an email at sticker@lakecombielca.com with your address, CF #, and location you plan to launch. The LCA will get back to arrange a time to validate the vessel, sign a compliance document, and provide a sticker. You must have an untampered Blue Tag or proof of decontamination from a approved service provider to obtain a sticker. Once you obtain the sticker you will be free to launch and relaunch as long a you visit no other waterway.
The MV R&G club has a similar process but you will need to go through the club's contact.
The Combie ONLY sticker must be removed before you launch at a waterway other than Lake Combie. You cannot use the sticker to launch at Rollins or Scotts Flat.
Step 3
Education and Awareness
Contamination of Combie would radically impact our use of the lake as the mussels would destroy our boat's cooling systems. Yet this is insignificant compared to the Hundreds of Millions of dollars damage to NID and private water infrastructure.
Once contaminated, there is no turning back. So we all have a vested interest in keeping Combie clean. Please help our neighbors understand the gravity of the situation and keep vigilant on abiding by our policies.
If you observe watercraft without a sticker please reference them to the LCA website to work through the process. Get their CF number or take a picture and send it to mussel@lakecombielca.com .