Unfortunately, Lake Tahoe has been exposed to several invasive species over the years.
Two invasive plants have hit the lake, as well as harmful clams and a type of freshwater snail.
"New Zealand mud snails reproduce very fast. They take calcium out of the water that the fish need to survive on," says Tom Berndt, a roving boat inspector for the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. "They also promote more of the harmful algae blooms. So, it's sad that these got into our lake."
Berndt says the snails likely came from a kayak or fishing gear.
They're only present in the south Lake Tahoe beach area right now.
Surrounding lakes - such as Fallen Leaf Lake and Echo Lake - aren't affected by these invasive species, but that can change at a moment's notice.
"It's very easy to get from snail-infested water into one of those lakes and under and out, and we can easily transport any invasive species that way," Berndt says. "And that's why being clean, drained and dry is so important."
Golden mussels are also a threat.
This invasive species has been found across California and could easily end up in Lake Tahoe.
"[Mussels'] vessel threads are a protein structure, kind of looks like little hairs. And they'll attach onto boats, docks, piers, rocks, pipes, anything that they can get their hands on," says McKenzie Koch with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
Golden mussel babies, known as veligers, are microscopic and can go undetected without a proper inspection.
Koch encourages anyone using watercraft like paddleboards and kayaks to clean, drain, and dry their craft before leaving the lake.
"Not only could there be mussels that have been undetected because they're still in their veliger phase, and then you could take the veligers, those microscopic babies, to a new place," she says, "you could also have another species that we didn't have our eyes out for. "
Motorized vessels are required to go through an inspection for invasive species before entering Lake Tahoe.
For other crafts, like paddleboards, kayaks, and the like, the Lake Tahoe Invasive Species Program has three free cleaning stations around the lake.
They come equipped with a blower to remove weeds and water, various hand tools like tongs to get things off, and a vacuum to completely dry your watercraft.
The Lake Tahoe Water Trail recommends seven days of dry time to ensure invasive species die, but there's another option if you can't wait that long.
"They can visit a watercraft inspection station, and we offer the free decontamination for non-motorized and hand-launched electric watercraft," Berndt says.
Visit Tahoe Boat Inspections for more information on keeping aquatic invasive species out of Lake Tahoe.
