New solar-powered cleaning stations aim to protect Lake Tahoe from invasive species

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KOLO) — Environmental advocates and public land managers have installed new permanent, solar-powered watercraft cleaning stations across the Lake Tahoe basin in a growing push to stop devastating aquatic invasive species from entering local waterways.

The “CD3 Outpost Blue” units are designed to help outdoor recreationists clean, drain, dry, and dispose of aquatic hitchhikers and were installed at Baldwin Beach and along the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake. The effort is a partnership between nonprofit Keep Tahoe Blue, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), and concessionaire ExplorUS.

The arrival of the new equipment comes amid heightened urgency following the late 2024 detection of golden mussels in California. The destructive invasive species reproduces rapidly, survives for days out of water, and adheres to nearly any hard surface. In under two years, golden mussels have spread across more than 400 miles of California waterways, triggering emergency declarations in four counties.

Inspectors with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District have intercepted at least six motorized watercraft carrying golden mussels this year alone but were stopped before entering the water. Motorized boats undergo mandatory inspections at dedicated stations operating since 2008, nonmotorized gear presents a distinct vulnerability.

“The risk really, I think, does come from paddle craft and nonmotorized for a lot of reasons,” said Jesse Patterson, chief strategy officer for Keep Tahoe Blue. “The inflatables fit in the trunk of your car or in a backpack. … All these things can potentially introduce aquatic invasive species like the golden mussel. While we do have a great motorized program here for prevention at Lake Tahoe, the nonmotorized one, we really rely on individuals knowing what they can do to protect it.”

Unlike Tahoe’s four existing mobile trailer units introduced in 2023, the Outpost Blue stations are permanent, waterless fixtures engineered specifically for remote launch sites. Powered entirely by solar energy, each station provides a scrub brush, reaching tongs, and compressed air to dislodge debris, mud, and standing water from kayaks, paddleboards, inflatables, and fishing gear.

The stations were custom-designed for Tahoe in partnership with Minnesota-based CD3 Systems, funded through private donations to Keep Tahoe Blue. A fifth purchased unit is slated for installation, with organizers hoping to expand to 10 to 12 additional shoreline stations next year.

Watercraft users can also access free decontaminations for paddle craft at any motorized boat inspection station around the basin. More information and station maps are available at keeptahoeblue.org/cd3.