Aquatic Invasive Species - - CA Fish And Game

Section § 2300

This law makes it illegal to sell, possess, import, transport, transfer, release alive, or give away the saltwater algae known as Caulerpa in California. There is an exception for those who have authorization from the department to use it for legitimate scientific research.

If someone breaks this law, they could face a fine ranging from $500 to $10,000 for each violation, on top of any other penalties.

(a) No person shall sell, possess, import, transport, transfer, release alive in the state, or give away without consideration the salt water algae of the genus Caulerpa.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a person may possess, for bona fide scientific research, as determined by the department, upon authorization by the department, the salt water algae of the genus Caulerpa.

(c) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) and not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation.

Caulerpa algae saltwater algae scientific research exemption illegal possession transport prohibition import restrictions civil penalty marine environment protection invasive species environmental regulation authorization requirement research permit

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 119, Sec. 1. (AB 655) Effective January 1, 2024.)

Section § 2301

This law primarily aims to prevent the spread of invasive mussels in California's waters. It is illegal to possess, transport, or introduce these mussels without authorization. The Department of Fish and Wildlife can inspect and quarantine vehicles and boats that might carry mussels. They can also close or restrict access to affected waters, and other state agencies may help enforce these rules.

Water supply system operators must work with the department to control mussel infestations and create action plans if mussels are found. Plans must be updated to address known mussel species by specified dates. Anyone who finds invasive mussels must report them immediately. There are financial penalties for non-compliance, up to $1,000. Regulations will be in place until January 1, 2030, unless extended.

(a)

(1) Except as authorized by the department, a person shall not possess, import, ship, or transport in the state, or place, plant, or cause to be placed or planted in any water within the state, invasive mussels.

(2) The director or the director’s designee may do all of the following:

(A) Conduct inspections of conveyances, which include vehicles, boats and other watercraft, containers, and trailers, that may carry or contain adult or larval invasive mussels. Included as part of this authority to conduct inspections is the authority to temporarily stop conveyances that may carry or contain adult or larval invasive mussels on any roadway or waterway in order to conduct inspections.

(B) Order that areas in a conveyance that contain water be drained, dried, or decontaminated pursuant to procedures approved by the department.

(C) Impound or quarantine conveyances in locations designated by the department for the period of time necessary to ensure that invasive mussels can no longer live on or in the conveyance.

(D)

(i) Conduct inspections of waters of the state and facilities located within waters of the state that may contain invasive mussels. If invasive mussels are detected or may be present, the director or the director’s designee may order the affected waters or facilities closed to conveyances or otherwise restrict access to the affected waters or facilities, and shall order that conveyances removed from, or introduced to, the affected waters or facilities be inspected, quarantined, or disinfected in a manner and for a duration necessary to detect and prevent the spread of invasive mussels within the state.

(ii) For the purpose of implementing clause (i), the director or the director’s designee shall order the closure or quarantine of, or restrict access to, these waters, areas, or facilities in a manner and duration necessary to detect and prevent the spread of invasive mussels within the state. A closure, quarantine, or restriction shall not be authorized by the director or the director’s designee without the concurrence of the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency. If a closure lasts longer than seven days, the department shall update the operator of the affected facility every 10 days on efforts to address the invasive mussel infestation. The department shall provide these updates in writing and also post these updates on the department’s internet website in an easily accessible manner.

(iii) The department shall develop procedures to ensure proper notification of affected local and federal agencies, and, as appropriate, the Department of Water Resources, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the State Lands Commission in the event of a decision to close, quarantine, or restrict a facility pursuant to this paragraph. These procedures shall include the reasons for the closure, quarantine, or restriction, and methods for providing updated information to those affected. These procedures shall also include protocols for the posting of the notifications on the department’s internet website required by clause (ii).

(iv) When deciding the scope, duration, level, and type of restrictions, and specific location of a closure or quarantine, the director shall consult with the agency, entity, owner, or operator with jurisdiction, control, or management responsibility over the marina, boat launch facility, or other facility, in order to focus the closure or quarantine to specific areas and facilities so as to avoid or minimize disruption of economic or recreational activity in the vicinity.

(b)

(1) Upon a determination by the director that it would further the purposes of this section, other parties or state agencies, including, but not limited to, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Water Resources, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the State Lands Commission, may exercise the authority, or portions of that authority, granted to the department in subdivision (a).

(2) A determination made pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be in writing and shall remain in effect until withdrawn, in writing, by the director.

(c)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code does not apply to the implementation of this section.

(2) An action undertaken pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) involving the use of chemicals other than salt or hot water to decontaminate a conveyance or a facility is subject to Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code.

(d)

(1) A public or private agency that operates a water supply system shall cooperate with the department to implement measures to avoid infestation by invasive mussels and to control or eradicate any infestation that may occur in a water supply system. If invasive mussels are detected, the operator of the water supply system, in cooperation with the department, shall prepare and implement a plan to control or eradicate invasive mussels within the system, and eliminate or minimize any potential downstream transport of an invasive mussel. The approved plan shall contain the following minimum elements:

(A) Methods for delineation of infestation, including both adult mussels and veligers.

(B) Methods for control or eradication of adult mussels and decontamination of water containing larval mussels.

(D) The requirement that the operator of the water supply system permit inspections by the department as well as cooperate with the department to update or revise control or eradication measures in the approved plan to address scientific advances in the methods of controlling or eradicating mussels and veligers.

(2) If the operator of water delivery and storage facilities for public water supply purposes has prepared, initiated, and is in compliance with all the elements of an approved plan to control or eradicate invasive mussels in accordance with paragraph (1), the requirements of subdivision (a) do not apply to the operation of those water delivery and storage facilities, and the operator is not subject to any civil or criminal liability for the introduction of invasive mussel species as a result of those operations. The department may require the operator of a facility to update its plan, and if the plan is not updated or revised as described in this subdivision, subdivision (a) shall apply to the operation of the water delivery and storage facilities covered by the plan until the operator updates or revises the plan and initiates and complies with all of the elements of the updated or revised plan.

(3) On or before December 31, 2026, the department shall review all approved plans pursuant to this subdivision and require all plans that do not specifically address all invasive mussel species known to be present in bodies of water in the state as of January 1, 2026, to be updated or revised appropriately to include all invasive mussel species, on or before September 30, 2027.

(4) Every invasive mussel species shall be addressed in a plan pursuant to this subdivision no later than 180 days from the date that the species is listed in a regulation as described in Section 2303. The department shall approve plans or provide written comments and suggestions on plan deficiencies within 180 days from the date of plan submission.

(e) Any entity that discovers invasive mussels within this state shall immediately report the discovery to the department.

(f)

(1) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person who violates this section, violates any verbal or written order or regulation adopted pursuant to this section, or who resists, delays, obstructs, or interferes with the implementation of this section, is subject to a penalty, in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), that is imposed administratively by the department.

(2) A penalty shall not be imposed pursuant to paragraph (1) unless the department has adopted regulations specifying the amount of the penalty and the procedure for imposing and appealing the penalty.

(g) The department may adopt regulations to carry out this section.

(h) Pursuant to Section 818.4 of the Government Code, the department and any other state agency exercising authority under this section shall not be liable with regard to any determination or authorization made pursuant to this section.

(i) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2030, deletes or extends that date.

invasive mussels watercraft inspections quarantine procedures water supply systems decontamination methods infestation control penalty for violations fish and wildlife regulations closure of waterways mussel eradication plans state agency cooperation inspection authority environmental impact public reporting requirements regulatory expiration date

(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 106, Sec. 2. (AB 149) Effective September 17, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2030, by its own provisions.)

Section § 2302

This law requires those who own or manage reservoirs (except private ones not open to the public) where recreational activities are allowed to assess the risk of invasive mussels and create programs to prevent their introduction. They must include public education, monitoring, and management of activities like boating or fishing. Reservoirs without permitted recreational activities should visually monitor for mussels as part of routine checks. Also, these entities can refuse fish planting if it might introduce invasive mussels. Violations result in a civil fine, not exceeding $1,000, rather than traditional punitive measures. Reservoirs with existing invasive mussel detection are exempt from these requirements.

(a) Any person, or federal, state, or local agency, district, or authority that owns or manages a reservoir, as defined in Section 6004.5 of the Water Code, where recreational, boating, or fishing activities are permitted, except a privately owned reservoir that is not open to the public, shall do both of the following:

(1) Assess the vulnerability of the reservoir for the introduction of invasive mussel species.

(2) Develop and implement a program designed to prevent the introduction of invasive mussel species.

(b) The program shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1) Public education.

(2) Monitoring.

(3) Management of those recreational, boating, or fishing activities that are permitted.

(c) Any person, or federal, state, or local agency, district, or authority, that owns or manages a reservoir, as defined in Section 6004.5 of the Water Code, where recreational, boating, or fishing activities of any kind are not permitted, except a privately owned reservoir that is not open to the public, shall, based on its available resources and staffing, include visual monitoring for the presence of mussels as part of its routine field activities.

(d) Any entity that owns or manages a reservoir, as defined in Section 6004.5 of the Water Code, except a privately owned reservoir that is not open to the public for recreational, boating, or fishing activities, may refuse the planting of fish in that reservoir by the department unless the department can demonstrate that the fish planting does not present a risk of introducing invasive mussels.

(e) Except as specifically set forth in this section, this section applies both to reservoirs that are owned or managed by governmental entities and reservoirs that are owned or managed by private persons or entities.

(f) Violation of this section is not subject to the sanctions set forth in Section 12000. In lieu of any other penalty provided by law, a person who violates this section shall, instead, be subject to a civil penalty, in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) per violation, that is imposed administratively by the department. To the extent that sufficient funds and personnel are available to do so, the department may adopt regulations establishing procedures to implement this subdivision and enforce this section.

(g) This section shall not apply to a reservoir in which invasive mussels have been detected.

invasive mussels reservoir management recreational activities boating fishing activities public education program mussels monitoring visual inspection fish planting refusal civil penalty environmental management risk assessment prevention program local agency responsibility resource allocation

(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 106, Sec. 3. (AB 149) Effective September 17, 2025.)

Section § 2303

This law defines what an 'invasive mussel' is for this chapter. It refers to harmful mussel species that are not native, can spread in freshwater, and are identified in specific regulations by the commission.

For purposes of this chapter, “invasive mussel” means any nonnative detrimental mussel species that is capable of spreading in freshwater and is listed in a regulation adopted by the commission pursuant to Section 2118.

invasive mussel nonnative species freshwater spread detrimental mussel species regulation commission adoption Section 2118 invasive species control aquatic pests environmental impact mussel identification wildlife management biological invasion ecosystem threat

(Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 106, Sec. 4. (AB 149) Effective September 17, 2025.)