TRUCKEE, Calif. — The Truckee River Fund recently awarded $267,267 to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District to protect Truckee area waterbodies — including Donner Lake and Stampede, Boca and Prosser reservoirs — from the growing threat posed by aquatic invasive species, officials announced last week.

According to a TRCD press release, the funding will be utilized to work toward the implementation of a mandatory watercraft inspection program and the establishment of a stakeholder collaborative to fund a long-term, sustainable aquatic invasive species prevention program for the Truckee area.

Entering its third year of managing the Truckee Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Protection Program, TRCD will continue to conduct watercraft inspections and develop and refine a comprehensive AIS education and outreach plan for the Truckee River watershed.

“Through a series of public meetings and stakeholder input, community members and agency representatives have asked the Tahoe RCD to work toward a mandatory boat inspection program, similar to the program in Lake Tahoe,” said Kim Boyd, TRCD biological resources program manager, in a statement. “By studying boater usage patterns, we can conclude that Truckee area waterbodies are at risk for AIS introduction, especially with the recent quagga mussel infestation at Lahontan Reservoir, just a short drive away in Northern Nevada.”

According to the press release, TRCD and Truckee River Watershed Council officials will meet in the coming weeks to develop an ordinance for mandatory inspections in the Truckee area.

Invasive species resources for the Truckee area and contact information for public input can be found at TruckeeBoatInspections.com.