Water lovers, listen up!
As of May 17th 2024, it is now required to remove the drain plug before transporting a watercraft within BC. This is a great step forward in protecting local water bodies from invasive species. Draining boats and other watercrafts before moving them significantly reduces the chances for an invasive plant or organism to “hitchhike” to a new body of water.
Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship says “This order is part of our ongoing actions to contain and prevent further spread of whirling disease and keep invasive mussels out of B.C. waterways.” Whirling disease and invasive mussels are becoming an increasing concern for B.C.’s aquatic ecosystems, and pose a significant threat to our local waterways. In fact, whirling disease was recently found in Emerald lake in B.C. back in 2023, which is the first report of the disease in B.C.
Next time you head out for an adventure on the water, remember to Clean, Drain and Dry your watercraft completely before moving to a new location. Not only is it a provincial order to drain your watercraft, but it is vitally important for keeping our waterbodies invasive-free.
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