We have already been receiving quite a few calls from people wanting to get their boats ready for the 2015 season. The new permits have been ordered and will be arriving soon. Check this site for updates. Call 778-7975 and leave a message if you would like to be added to our wait list and we’ll contact you to make an inspection appointment once the 2015 permits have arrived.

2015 AIS Permit Fees:

• Annual Motorized Permit: $50 (Get a $10 discount by taking the online course)
• 3-Day Pass (Motorized only): $20 (No discount available – 3 consecutive days only)
• Annual Non-Motorized Permit: $10 (Get a $10 discount by taking the online course)

Aquatic Invasive Species Check Stations are scheduled to open on April 25, 2015.

We’ve just released our annual report highlighting our 2014 Boat Inspection Program results.

In 2014, we conducted a total of 7,859 watercraft inspections and 1 decontamination at Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish. While most of the boats we inspected were from Whatcom County, boats had visited 290 different waterbodies in 16 different states/provinces prior to launching in Lake Whatcom or Lake Samish.

We did intercept one boat with dead quagga mussels in 2014. This was the first boat found to be transporting invasive mussels since mandatory inspections began at Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish in 2013. The boat had last been used by a previous owner at Lake Havasu, Arizona. The mussels were physically removed and the boat was decontaminated using 140 degree, high-pressure water.

We also found 120 boats with vegetation and another 145 boats with standing water on board that required some additional attention. Our inspectors used these situations as an opportunity to educate boaters about the importance of cleaning, draining, and drying their boats between every use.

More detailed results from the 2014 boating season can be found in the Lake Whatcom Aquatic Invasive Species Program 2014 Annual Report (pdf).

The 2014 boating season has begun and the Bloedel Donovan Aquatic Invasive Species Check Station is now OPEN.  Hours of operation are 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., 7 days a week.  The Lake Samish WDFW Inspection Station is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 6:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m (hours of operation will be updated here throughout the season).

We look forward to another successful season of preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species to Whatcom County waters and greatly appreciate your cooperation and support for the boat inspection program.  Happy boating and remember to Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat prior to your inspection to help save you time and money!

2014 pre-season inspections are now available at the City of Bellingham’s Natural Resources Office at 2200 Nevada Street, Bellingham, WA 98229.  Call (360) 778-7975 to schedule an appointment. Checks and credit/debit cards accepted.

Annual Permits (Motorized) $50 (valid through Dec. 31)

Annual Permits (Non-Motorized) $10 (valid through Dec. 31)

Take the online AIS Awareness Course today to receive a $10 discount on your AIS Permit.

Inspection stations open at Bloedel Donovan and Lake Samish on April 26, 2014.

Come to the Bloedel Donovan Gymnasium on Thursday, March 27 from 6:30 – 7:30pm to learn more about new 2014 boating requirements for Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish.

What’s New in 2014?

• Permits are now required for non-motorized watercraft.
• Inspections available at Lake Samish and South Bay.
• New AIS Awareness Certification Course coming soon! Get certified to receive a discount when purchasing your annual permits.

Staff from the Lake Whatcom Management Program will be there to give a presentation on 2013 Program results as well as to discuss the program changes for 2014.  For more information contact Teagan Ward, (360) 778-7972, teward@cob.org.

We’ve just released our annual report highlighting our 2013 Boat Inspection Program results.

In 2013, we conducted a total of 3,192 watercraft inspections and 4 decontaminations at Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish. While most of the boats we surveyed were from Whatcom County, boats had visited 128 different waterbodies in 11 different states/provinces prior to launching in Lake Whatcom or Lake Samish.

The majority of boats that were stopped at the Aquatic Invasive Species Check Station in 2013 were clean; however, we did find some boats with vegetation or standing water on board that required some additional attention. Our inspectors used these situations as an opportunity to educate boaters about the importance of cleaning, draining, and drying their boats between every use.

No watercraft with invasive mussels were intercepted at the Aquatic Invasive Species Check Stations in 2013.  However, there were three boats that were last used in lakes with established zebra or quagga mussel populations. Luckily they had been out of the water for a long time!

More detailed results from the 2013 boating season can be found in the Lake Whatcom Aquatic Invasive Species Program 2013 Annual Report (pdf).