California Awards $2.7 Million for Boat Access and Golden Mussel Response

California has awarded $2.7 million for six boating-access and invasive-mussel projects, putting money toward launch facilities, river access and protection of waters anglers use. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the grants October 7. These are funding awards, not a notice that the work is finished or that new facilities are already open.

Inyo County will receive $540,000 for the Owens River Water Trail near Lone Pine. The work includes accessible facilities for launching and landing kayaks, canoes and paddleboards on the Lower Owens River. At Jenkinson Lake, $456,000 for the El Dorado Irrigation District will support the first construction phase of Sly Park boat-launch upgrades, intended to improve accessibility and safety and provide better access during low-water years.

On the Sacramento River, the Tehama County Transportation Commission will receive $536,000 for the Woodson Boat Ramp Preservation and Access Planning Project. High water and bank erosion have damaged the ramp and surrounding access area. This award supports hydraulic, geotechnical, engineering and environmental work toward a long-term design; it should not be read as a completed ramp repair.

The Tolowa Dee-ni Nation will receive $315,000 for the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Village and Resort boat-ramp revitalization on the Smith River in Del Norte County. The announcement describes support for designing improvements to deteriorated facilities. Santa Clara County will receive another $225,000 for its Alviso Marina County Park project, supplementing a previous grant for boat-ramp repairs, boardwalk plank replacement and parking-lot improvements.

CDFW's invasive golden mussel program will receive $704,000. The agency says this year's money will increase staffing for monitoring, prevention and containment. That is distinct from last year's funding for equipment and training, including decontamination units and wash stations. The new award does not itself announce a change in boat-inspection requirements or reservoir access rules.

The grants use federal Sport Fish Restoration funding. CDFW identifies sport-fishing equipment and tackle taxes, along with boating-related tax revenue, among the program's funding sources. For anglers, the practical return is investment in getting boats onto the water and keeping those waters usable—not a change in fishing seasons or harvest limits.

A separate round offers approximately $3 million for fiscal year 2027–28 boating-access projects. Applications are due through CDFW's WebGrants portal by 4 p.m. November 5, 2026. An online workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. October 21; attendance is not required to apply. The official announcement links the solicitation and workshop details.

Illustrative file photograph: the boat ramp at Jim's Landing, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Photo credit: PND Engineers, Inc., via the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which lists the image as Public Domain. This is not a photograph of any California project funded by these grants.