Tahoe Resource Conservation District SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — An influx of new boat owners may be contributing to a startling number of vessels arriving at Lake Tahoe with invasive species. In less than one month, Lake Tahoe watercraft inspections have identified numerous boats carrying harmful aquatic invasive species and added them to the list of boats that had to be decontaminated before launching, according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District who manage the inspection program. So far this year, 14 of the more than 1,000 boats inspected were found to have aquatic invasive species in, on, or attached to the boat, boat trailer, dock lines, or on-board recreational equipment, TRPA said in a press release. Seven of the 14 were carrying invasive mussels, which threaten to devastate Tahoe’s ecosystem and recreational experience, and could cost the region $20 million a year, the agency said. By comparison, 20 vessels with AIS were intercepted throughout last year.