People who live on Lake Whatcom or Lake Samish and keep their boat on the lake and never take it anywhere else do not need to buy an AIS Permit or to get their watercraft inspected.

What will greatly reduce the time it takes to inspect your watercraft for AIS?

Quagga and zebra mussels came to North America in the ballast tanks and on the anchor chains of large, transoceanic ships that entered the Great Lakes.

Zebra and quagga mussels attach themselves to hard surfaces tightly like superglue and are very difficult to remove without high pressure, hot water.

All of our education and outreach efforts are designed to help the public to understand the threat that invasive species pose to Whatcom County waters and steps they can take to help prevent their spread.

What are inspectors looking and feeling for when they conduct a physical watercraft inspection?