Lawmakers want Folsom Lake reopened to boaters despite golden mussel concerns
FOLSOM — A group of GOP lawmakers is calling for the immediate reopening of Folsom Lake and other area waterways impacted by efforts to stop the spread of invasive golden mussels.
They are calling for a better balance between protecting against that invasive golden mussel and not stifling the local economy that depends on revenue from boaters and people taking part in water activities.
The species was detected on other waterways last year, but not yet in Folsom Lake.
"We really feel like these agencies have had six months to figure this out, and we're just now starting to look into this and I think that's unacceptable," said Assemblyman Josh Hoover.
Hoover's one of those lawmakers calling for the immediate reopening of the lake to decontaminated boats and wants water agencies to come up with a better, more streamlined decontamination process.
He, along with Congressman Kevin Kiley, Assemblyman Joe Patterson, and Senator Roger Niello, sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of State Parks stating that they didn't give enough notice to the people impacted.
As of right now, boats have to go through a 30-day quarantine before they can get on the water.
Hoover has been on the phone speaking to those agencies about what it would take to make sure they can come up with a better process to both protect waters and not have a negative impact on local communities.
"I think there is a path forward. The wheels of government turn very slowly, unfortunately," he said. "So we're really trying to light a fire under this bureaucracy to say that this is an urgent matter. We really need this to be resolved for the local economy."
Agencies warn that if the golden mussel finds its way into our waterways, it could cause significant damage to marine ecosystems.
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