Boaters will now have to have their craft inspected and pay a fee before being allowed to launch at the village's two sites on Fish Road and Fair Street.

The program evolved from a boat washing requirement put in place last year soon after zebra mussels were discovered in nearby Canadarago Lake.

The inspection requirement will last into October and could cost the village $40,000 annually, according to Dr. Theodore Peters of the zebra mussel committee. Some of those cost will be offset by revenue generated through launch fees and a grant from the Clark Foundation will pick up part of the tab. It will still be an expensive proposition in tight budget times, especially for a program that may not stop the invasive mussel from making its way into the lake.

The village has an interest in keeping the mussel out because the lake is its source of drinking water and the exotic species can cause problems for water systems.

Otsego Lake is a regional treasure and we credit the village for doing what it can to protect the lake for the benefit not only of its residents and their drinking water, but everyone in the region.

Some people have expressed the idea that boaters will simply look elsewhere to launch and avoid the village's inspection and fee requirement. Certainly that will happen in some cases as there are other places around the lake to put in a boat.

One of the easiest is the public landing in the town of Springfield, which has not been overly enthusiastic about trying to check the introduction of exotic species - particularly the zebra mussel.

Earlier the town declined an offer from the Otsego Lake Association to provide equipment for a boat washing station like it did for Cooperstown. Town leaders questioned the cost and effectiveness of boat washing. The lake association worked to find a location for a boat washing facility, but so far has been unsuccessful.

During Springfield's meeting Monday night, it was brought to the town board's attention by lake association vice president Dan Rosen that the public landing, which is intended for town residents only, was being used by people from outside Springfield.

Boaters from out of the area may pose the greatest threat because of the likelihood they have been in other lakes which have been invaded by the mussel.

The town board decided to work to restrict access to town residents and their guests only by the use of sticker or card system which would identify residents seeking to launch. All others would be turned away.

Town officials may have been motivated more by a desire to not see residents' tax dollars support a launch site for out-of-town boaters than concerns about the zebra mussel.

But whatever the reason, limiting access will help with efforts to keep all exotic species out of Otsego Lake.

We hope supervisor Tom Armstrong the Springfield town board will follow through with the plan which will close up one more point of access where exotics could have an easier time of making it into the lake.