Motorboats on Blue Mesa need an inspection before launch

Blue Mesa Reservoir is the big lake along U.S. 50 west of Gunnison, and it is a popular place to boat. Before you back a trailer down the ramp, there is a required step.

To protect the reservoir from invasive zebra and quagga mussels, motorized boats, sailboats, and trailered watercraft must pass an aquatic-species inspection before launching. These tiny mussels hitchhike on hulls, trailers, and in standing water, and once a lake is infested they are nearly impossible to remove and can foul equipment and water systems. Hand-powered craft like kayaks and paddleboards are encouraged to be inspected but are not required to be, and they can usually launch without a fee.

The practical advice that makes inspections fast: arrive with your boat clean, drained, and dried. Pull the plug, empty live wells and bilges, and let things dry between waters. An exit inspection on the way out helps too.

Why this matters: inspection stations keep hours, and ramps open and close with the season and the water level, so showing up at dawn or dusk without checking can mean a wait or a closed ramp.

For inspection hours, open ramps, and current rules, check the National Park Service pages for Curecanti National Recreation Area.