Restricted Boat Access Approved at Lake Casitas

Casitas Municipal Water District's Board of Directors on April 9, 2008 passed a measure to allow outside boats to exclusively use Lake Casitas. Boaters are urged to be patient as it may take several weeks for the program to be implemented by park staff. Boaters that want to participate in this program are urged to reserve their place on a waiting list by calling (805) 649-2233 Extension 7. Park staff will, in the near future, begin scheduling boat inspections with those on the list.

The new program relies on locks and tags that are designed to ensure boats are not used at any other lake. There will be a one-time $50 charge to cover the cost of the lock and tag. Boats will be locked to a trailer, which can then be stored at a boater's home or at Lake Casitas. Boaters will be able to use the lake as often as they like after their boat goes through the initial clean and dry inspection and a ten day quarantine period. Once a boater decides to use another lake they will need to start the process all over again. This includes an initial inspection and ten day quarantine.

Park staff will call boaters on the list based on a first-come first-served basis to schedule their initial boat inspection. Any boat found with water in the bilge, motor or any other location will be turned away. Any evidence of tampering with the lock or tag will result in a one year ban from the lake.

Casitas restricted outside boat access in early March to prevent the lake from being infested with invasive mussels, which have recently entered and spread through California. These mussels can cause severe water quality and infrastructure problems once they enter a drinking water reservoir. Casitas' first priority is to protect the Lake Casitas reservoir for those 65,000 people that depend on it as water supply. The lock and tag program represents Casitas' commitment to accommodate the needs of recreational customers without jeopardizing the local water supply.