Watercraft to be banned from lake

Private boats, canoes and other watercraft will be barred from Lake Casitas for up to a year as officials develop additional methods to prevent the man-made reservoir from becoming contaminated by an invasive mussel.

Despite protests from anglers, the Casitas Municipal Water District’s board of directors voted this week to approve the ban at the popular 2,700-acre lake. The recreation area will continue to permit rental of more than 75 kayaks, pontoons and aluminum boats. More than 150 boats permanently kept at the lake also are not affected by the ban.

The lake, which is stocked with bass, trout and catfish, attracts 26,000 boaters annually. The water district’s primary mission is to supply water to 65,000 Ventura County residents.

Problems with quagga mussels migrating from Nevada into California along the Colorado River were first observed in early 2007. The mussel, which grows no larger than a fingernail, is a prolific breeder that attaches to boats and aquatic plants and could harm the freshwater ecosystem by eating much of the plankton that supports the food chain. The zebra mussel is also targeted.

Although neither mussel has been found at the lake, the district imposed the new restrictions to avoid harming the local fishery and reduce water quality, officials said.

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-- Gregory W. Griggs