Chelan County Natural Resources Offering Free Boat Inspections at Lake Chelan

Voluntary boat inspections resume this Memorial Day Weekend at Lake Chelan for the third season.

Chelan County Natural Resources says they hold the inspection program every year to keep aquatic invasive species (AIS), including milfoil and quagga and zebra mussels, and other non-native species from entering the Lake Chelan ecosystem.

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Participation in the county-operated program grew 13 percent last year compared to 2023.

“It’s great to see the public, including local residents and out-of-towners, excited about the continuation of this program,” said Stephen Lesky, natural resource specialist with Chelan County Natural Resources. “We appreciate people’s participation in and enthusiasm for the effort to keep aquatic invasive species out of Lake Chelan.”

Chelan County Natural Resources adds they will use a mobile decontamination trailer or a waterless cleaning system installed at Lakeshore Marina to reinforce "Clean, Drain, Dry" principles of preventing the spread of AIS.

This includes: Cleaning the boat, trailer and any personal gear before leaving the ramp or parking lot, draining any standing water by emptying the bilge, live wells, ballast tanks and engines, and completely air and sun-drying the boat to eliminate AIS.

Upon completion of an inspection and survey, boat owners receive a sticker. For a Chelan resident, they'll receive a light blue sticker designating their boat only frequents Lake Chelan. For Chelan and Douglas County residents, the dark blue sticker is for boaters who frequent only bodies of water in Chelan and Douglas counties. These stickers will reduce inspection times for local boaters.

“Our inspectors will just check in with sticker-holders to see if anything has changed,” Lesky said. “After that, any return trips to Lake Chelan will be expedited.”

Lesky adds stickers handed out last year are good for this year and the future, but boat owners can expect an intial full inspection this year to kick off the 2025 boating season.