Boats on Chaffee County waters need a clean check first

If you bring a boat to Chaffee County, plan on an inspection before it touches the water. Colorado runs an aquatic nuisance species program to keep invasive mussels and plants out of its lakes and rivers, and the rules apply to the reservoirs and ramps in this area too.

Here is the short version. Every motorboat and sailboat needs an aquatic nuisance species stamp before launching on Colorado waters. On top of that, Colorado requires trailered and motorized boats to be inspected before they go in, with staff checking the hull, trailer, and water-holding spots for hitchhikers. The main worry is invasive mussels, including zebra, quagga, and golden mussels — tiny shellfish that can take over a reservoir, clog intakes, and ruin fishing. If inspectors find anything, they decontaminate the boat before it can launch.

The simplest way to avoid delay is the boater’s rule of thumb: clean, drain, and dry your boat between every body of water. Pull the plug, dump standing water, and let it dry out. A boat that arrives clean and dry usually moves through inspection quickly.

Because inspection hours and which ramps have stations change with the season, check Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s boat inspection pages before you head to the water.