Sacramento-area lawmakers call for Folsom Lake reopening amid mussel threat
Four Sacramento-area lawmakers are calling for the reopening of Folsom Lake in a letter to state waterways officials, saying the costs to the local economy and recreational boating are too great, while calling for better coordination between agencies to get boats back into the water.
The letter — signed by state Assemblymember Josh Hoover, R-Rancho Cordova; state Sen. Roger Niello, R-Sacramento; Assemblymember Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin; and Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin — calls on authorities to reconsider Folsom’s closure to boating as a precaution after invasive golden mussels were discovered in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and other Valley waterways.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials closed the lake April 14. The closure extends to May 14. California State Parks imposed a 30-day quarantine on boats or are requiring the watercraft to undergo hot water decontamination before they could return to the water. The Republican lawmakers said no approved decontamination facilities are readily available to boaters to allow their return to the water just as boating season is approaching.
“If the intent is to ensure that boats have sufficient time to complete the 30-day quarantine, decontaminated boats should be exempt and allowed to access the lake immediately,” the letter read. “If boaters are prepared to assume the costs associated with decontaminating their vehicles, Folsom Lake should allow them entry.”
The lawmakers wrote the absence of decontamination facilities at Folsom Lake is part of a much larger problem. They said concerns over “unreasonable timelines and numerous requirements” along with inconsistent procedures to stop the mussels’ spread are growing, and want a uniform process for boaters to decontaminate watercraft and equipment.
The lawmakers in their letter said jurisdictions should work with federal state and local officials to give green seals of approval to boaters to allow them access to all bodies of water where inspections are in place.
The lawmakers said state and local officials should look to programs that have seen success such as in Lake Tahoe where new-in-2025 requirements that all watercraft and trailers undergo decontamination have been incorporated into its longstanding inspection process.
“We have concerns that state and local jurisdictions are not better prepared with a response that balances the considerations of boaters and businesses that rely on our recreation industry, the lawmakers’ letter read, urging “all involved jurisdictions to expedite and streamline the inspection and decontamination process.”
The invasive mussels were first discovered at the Port of Stockton in October and have since been spotted attached to watercraft in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The mollusks are a threat to water infrastructure and native species. California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists a variety of threats the mollusks pose to the environment, economy and recreation.
California instituted a ban on the invasive species in December and earlier this month Folsom Lake and Lake Clementine joined the list of state waterways with strict new restrictions to block the species from their waters.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 12:34 PM.
CORRECTION: This story was updated to reflect that the 30-day moratorium was set by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the lake, and that no mussels have been found in Folsom Lake.
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