James Littley from the Okanagan Basin Water Board makes presentation to Vernon council on a plan to prevent a spread of quagga mussel in local lakes. (Liam Verster / Vernon Matters photo)

By Liam Verster

mussel concerns

Vernon council on board with temporary ban on out-of-province boats

Oct 23, 2023 | 5:00 PM

Vernon council has given approval in principle to writing letters of support to the provincial and federal governments for a temporary moratorium of out-of-province boats.

With quagga mussels found in Idaho recently, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) is proposing measures to prevent any local spread, lasting at least until the full status of the infestation of the Columbia Basin is assessed.

James Littley, deputy administrator with the OBWB, told city council Monday it could take several months to get an assessment on the infestation in Snake River, Idaho, but it could be years until the full extent is known.

Littley said the moratorium should last until at least next boating season.

He also said there needs to be more provincial investments in inspection stations to “close gaps” in the system.

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Councillors Teresa Durning and Brian Guy were very concerned with the infestation risk and fully supported the OBWB request.

Councillor Kari Gares expressed concern with moratorium impacts on tourism and local businesses, and to weigh that with the infestation risk, but still supported writing a letter asking for increased inspection investments without banning out of province boats.

Councillor Brian Quiring was also concerned with tourism and full moratorium and wanted to know if other options could be explored, but would support writing letters.

Littley noted it would be up to the province to determine the length of the moratorium, adding the “short term pain” of some tourism losses wouldn’t compare to costs associated with an infestation (up to $126 million per year, not including environmental impacts).

Durning made the motion to write letters in support of OBWB. The motion was amended to pass in principle writing letters, and to have the letter drafted for further discussion.

Speaking with Vernon Matters following Monday’s meeting, Mayor Victor Cumming said quagga mussels provide a significant risk of negatively impacting the ecosystems and infrastructure if they are brought into the region and embed themselves in the lakes and waterways.

“Keeping the mussels out is critical, and there are some more actions that we think the province and federal government need to take to protect us,” Cumming said, adding council needs to find a balance that still supports the tourism industry.

“It’s balancing tourism in the short term and tourism in the long run, because if we get it here, tourism in the long run will be deeply impacted. Tourism in the short run, if there’s a moratorium on boats, well maybe it’s a moratorium on boats that haven’t been washed or sprayed or quarantined. These are technical questions well outside the capability of Vernon city council.”

Options of draft letters to the provincial and federal ministries will be presented to council for discussion at the next regular meeting.

Cumming noted that the outbreak in the Snake River, which is upriver from the Columbia River, is the first ever reported in Idaho which has very strict protocols in place to protect bodies of water from the invasive mussels, and is taking extreme action to resolve the issue immediately by dumping pesticide into the water, which has resulted in fish and plant life dying, but also killing the quaggas.

“So we need now to really beef up our protection systems in British Columbia or we’re really going to be into it. [It would be] a highly negative result in our fresh water lakes.”

by Liam Verster

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