As boaters and recreators prepare to get on the water this summer, state wildlife officials are reminding residents of pre-launch requirements.
All Utah boat and watercraft users are required to take the annual mussel-aware boater course. That includes those launching paddleboards, kayaks and other nonmotorized watercraft.
The course outlines the dangers and proper practices to prevent the spread of invasive quagga mussels, or the STD of the Sea.
Motorized boat users must also pay an annual aquatic invasive species program vessel enrollment fee, which helps the Utah Department of Natural Resources operate the state’s invasive species prevention program.
When leaving any body of water and transporting watercraft, drain plugs must be removed.
Watercraft leaving Lake Powell, the only Utah waterbody with confirmed quagga mussels, must get an exit inspection and be professionally decontaminated before launching in a different body of water.
There are more than 40 inspection stations across Utah and seven dip tanks. This year, Jordanelle State Park will open a new dip tank. The tanks use hot water to kill and flush out quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species from complex engines and intake systems. The process takes less than 10 minutes.
Utah passed a few legislative changes this year that will change the boater requirements, those go into effect Jan. 1, 2027.
