Save Texas Waterways By Doing This To Your Boat

Did you have a fun weekend boating in one of our many beautiful Texas lakes over the long Memorial Day Weekend? Then this applies to you. Before you take that boat to another body of water clean, drain, and dry it.

Boaters should drain all the water from their boat including the motor, bilge, livewells and bait bucket before heading out to another lake. You can get ahead of this by doing this anytime you take your boat out of the lake.

Texas Parks & Wildlife mean business with this one. Texas Game Wardens will be out enforcing the law. The penalty for a first offense is $500. Repeat offenders can get fined up to $2,000 or up to 180 days in jail.

Taking your boat out of one body of water, and then just putting it on the trailer and taking it to the next, is damaging our waterways. Properly prep your boat before going to another lake. Clean and check all your gear, removing all plant material, mud, and any other foreign objects.

They are asking for our help to stop the spread of harmful plants like Giant Salvinia and Water Hyacinth. It's not just plants, Zebra Mussels are also an issue.

These are in lakes all over Texas, but they aren't supposed to be. They are an invasive species. These small freshwater mussels can multiply rapidly and they will cling to your boat, or cluster up on just about anything in the water.

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If your boat has been stored in the water on a lake with zebra mussels, it needs to be completely decontaminated before moving it to stop this invasive species. You can call Texas Parks & Wildlife (512) 389-4848 to get more information.