In September 2011,
the Aquatic Invasive Species action plan for boat inspections for entrance into
the lakes was released after finding traces of Asian clams in the lake, according
to official city data.
On May 21, 2012,
Bellingham was awarded a grant of $164,000 from the Puget Sound Partnership in
order to help prevent aquatic invasive species from further contaminating Lake
Whatcom, according to official city data.
The current boat
inspections at Bloedel Donovan Park are a result of this grant and are meant to
keep aquatic invasive species out of Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish, which are
two sources of drinking water in Bellingham, according to official city data.
When
Whatcom County announced that motorized-boat owners would have to pay $20 or $50
for an inspection pass to keep non-native plants and pathogens out of the lakes
that are a drinking source for the city, some boat owners were irritated with
the new policy.
Some
feel as if the fee for the clean, drain, dry inspection is unreasonable, and
that if boat inspections are wanted by the county, the county should not charge
boaters separately for the inspection, according to Ross Mattson, a local who
lives near Bloedel Donovan Park.
“They
should incorporate that into the boat licensing fee for anybody in Whatcom
County rather than have a whole other revenue collector agency for that alone,”
Mattson said.
The
fees being charged for boat inspections are only a portion of the money being
used to fund the overall invasive species prevention program, according to
official city data.
The
Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District gave the Lake Whatcom program $50,000 to
use to help keep the lake from getting more contaminated than it already is,
Patrick Sorensen, Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District’s general manager,
said.
While the fees do
play a major factor in the annoyance of boat inspection process, not many view
the actual process as problematic. Some feel that while the entire process is
not a hassle, the fees are the most draining part of the entire situation, Bryan
Morris, a local motor-boat owner, said.
“It’s not a hassle.
The only thing is I got this-,” Morris said, gesturing to his boat, “-plus two
jet skis. That’s $150. Plus I have to pay for registration and maintenance,
which is a given. It’s to the point where I don’t even know if it’s worth it.”
However,
others held a different view about the fees and the inspection itself, viewing
the lakes as a drinking supply for the city of Bellingham rather than just as
lakes that could be contaminated by foreign bacteria.
Dan
Colacurcio, a man whose son owns a motorized boat near Bloedel Donovan Park, feels
that some boaters are not responsible enough to take care of their own boats,
and that since the lakes are a supply of drinking water for the city, the boat
inspections are a necessary step to preserve the lakes even if the county must
charge each boater individually per boat.
While
it might seem outrageous to some people to make patrons pay to have their own
boats inspected every time they enter the lake, it’s a task that benefits everybody
to keep the lake clean. If the boats are bringing in harmful bacteria, then it
needs to be done, according to Ken Gregory.
The
Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District approves of the boat inspections that are
occurring as Lake Whatcom is a drinking water source for the city and needs to
not be contaminated, said Sorensen.
While
some may feel that boaters are not completely responsible to take care of their
own boats, others disagree. “I’m
a pretty responsible boater,” Morris said. “It’s almost like I have to pay to
blow my own nose.”
It is also pondered
about how effective the inspection process is at all. It would be helpful to
compare what is happening with these boat inspections at these lakes to lakes
that do not have boat inspections, and noticing how in danger the lakes
actually are, Morris said.
Whether or not it’s
worth it is also a question going through people’s minds. Mattson pondered as
to whether the lakes are even worth saving at this point as Lake Whatcom is
already contaminated
“This is the end of
the line, right? It’s already infected here. I think it’s a noble effort, I
appreciate it… but I think they’re too late,” Mattson said.
New Zealand
Mudsnail, Euarasian Milfoil, and Asian Clam have already breached into
Washington state with the latter two having already made their way into Lake
Whatcom, according to city data.
While opinions
differ on how the boat inspection is handled financially and physically, it is
well agreed upon that patrons of Whatcom County would just like to be able to
use their boats freely in the lakes, and be able to enjoy the lakes as they are
now.
“It was amazing
being able taking a ride on the lake today to see how beautiful God made it,”
Colacurcio said.
Boat
inspections at Bloedel Donovan Park began on April 1st of this year
and are still open for purchasing annual or multi-day inspection passes,
according to city data. #
