Salt Lake City — The weather is warming up, making this a great time to get the boat out and get ready for the summer boating season. If you are planning to boat this spring or summer, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement want to remind you of a few requirements before you hit the water.
A few legislative changes regarding the state’s aquatic invasive species boater requirements were recently passed. However, they will not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2027. So the regulations in effect last year will remain the same for anyone boating, paddleboarding or kayaking in Utah this year.Aquatic invasive species requirements
Here are the main rules to be aware of:
- Anyone who launches a boat or any other watercraft in Utah — whether they are a resident or nonresident — is required to take an annual mussel-aware boater course. This includes individuals with paddle boards, kayaks and other nonmotorized watercraft.
- Anyone who wants to launch a motorized boat must also pay an annual aquatic invasive species program vessel enrollment fee. The aquatic invasive species fee is separate from the Utah Motor Vehicle Division registration fee, and each will have separate decals. This fee helps the DNR operate the state’s program and keep AIS from spreading around Utah.
- When leaving any waterbody and when transporting watercraft, any drain plugs must be removed. Boaters should also remove any sea strainers while transporting their watercraft.
- All watercraft leaving Lake Powell — currently the only Utah waterbody with confirmed quagga mussels — are required to have an exit inspection during the inspection station's hours of operation. Inspections are not the same as decontaminations. After a watercraft is inspected, it must still be professionally decontaminated before that watercraft can launch at a different waterbody. If a decontamination can't be performed, the watercraft must follow the recommended cleaning and draining guidelines, and wait the required dry time before launching again. Utah's required dry times after boating at Lake Powell are seven days in summer, 18 days in fall and spring, or 30 days in winter. However, wakeboard boats are defined as complex boats, which always require a 30-day dry time — regardless of the time of year — unless they are professionally decontaminated by a DWR-certified aquatic invasive species decontamination.
- All watercraft users should always clean, drain and dry their watercraft when leaving any waterbody to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, such as quagga mussels and invasive Eurasian watermilfoil plants.
How to pay fees
The boater registration payment is made through the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles, and the separate aquatic invasive species fee is paid online through the DWR website. The fee is $20 per watercraft for residents, and $25 per watercraft for nonresidents. The annual mussel-aware boater course must be completed before the aquatic invasive species program vessel enrollment fee can be paid, and then a current-year AIS boat decal will be mailed to you.
“The aquatic invasive species funds are used to help prevent quagga mussels from spreading from Lake Powell to other Utah waterbodies,” Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Aquatic Invasive Species Statewide Operations Lt. Bruce Johnson said. “These funds help pay for new dip tanks being installed around the state that more efficiently decontaminate boats and also pay for staff to help inspect and decontaminate boats in areas without dip tanks.”
Where to decontaminate watercraft
There are over 40 inspection stations located around Utah with some located at boat launch ramps and others along highways. There are also five dip tanks in Utah in operation and two more are scheduled to open this year. The dip tanks are located at the following locations:
Boaters should be aware that there will be significant ongoing construction at Pineview Reservoir this summer that will prevent decontaminations from taking place at the reservoir. Construction within the Pineview recreation area will have some impacts to boating and fishing opportunities available at the reservoir, due to the closures of the Port Ramp Marina and Windsurfer Beach. Boaters should plan ahead and visit the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Service website for the latest information.
Due to ongoing severe drought conditions, Lake Powell will have low water levels this year. Boaters should check the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area website for updates on launch ramp conditions
“We are so appreciative of all the boaters who are committed to doing their part to prevent the spread of quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species, like Eurasian watermilfoil, in Utah,” Johnson said.
Visit the STD of the Sea website for a map of inspection and decontamination stations around Utah.
Negative impacts of quagga mussels
- They plug water lines, even lines that are large in diameter.
- If they get into water delivery systems, it will cost millions of dollars annually to remove them and keep the pipes free, which can result in higher utility bills.
- They remove plankton from the water, which hurts fish species.
- Mussels get into your boat’s engine cooling system. Once they do, they’ll foul the system and damage the engine.
- When mussels die in large numbers, they stink and the sharp shells of dead mussels also cut your feet as you walk along the beaches.
Negative impacts of Eurasian watermilfoil
- This invasive plant is detrimental to aquatic ecosystems because it spreads quickly and forms thick mats. Its density blocks out sunlight, and it outcompetes native plants, negatively impacting fish and other native aquatic species.
- Transporting even one piece of milfoil to another waterbody can start a new population of the plant in that waterbody.
- Eurasian watermilfoil (also called milfoil) can clog irrigation pipes.
- It can also tangle around boat propellers and cause damage.
- Removing milfoil from a waterbody once it’s found there is extremely expensive.
Eurasian watermilfoil is currently found in several waterbodies around Utah, including:
- Bear Lake
- Bottle Hollow Reservoir
- Bullock Reservoir
- Cottonwood Reservoir
- Fish Lake
- Johnson Reservoir
- Little Montes Reservoir
- Midview Reservoir
- Otter Creek Reservoir
- Panguitch Lake
- Pelican Lake
- Starvation Reservoir
- Strawberry Reservoir
- Tony Grove Lake
Learn more about how to prevent the spread of quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species on the STD of the Sea website.
