A new state mandate will soon change the way boat owners operate their vehicles at all Texas lakes.
Boats operating on public fresh water anywhere in the state have to be completely cleaned, drained and dried before leaving.
The law goes into effect on July 1, but the Memorial Day weekend is a good test to see how people abide by the new regulation.
Lake Parks Superintendent Bob McGlothlin said they plan to post signs telling visitors to do their part, however, it will be difficult to manually enforce it.
“I’ve got six boat ramps here in my parks that we would have to take care of. If you try to staff those during the day, that’s just impossible,” he said.
McGlothlin said up to 400 boats are expected during the long weekend, which happens to be one of their busiest weekends of the year.
When the law goes into effect on July 1, violators can face a costly penalty. Not cleaning your boats properly is a Class C misdemeanor and a fine can cost up to $500.
