Sonora, CA—Due to the threat of the highly invasive golden mussel, Stanislaus National Forest (STF) officials will close the Beardsley Lake Boat Ramp for the next two months.
Forest officials, at the request of the Tri-Dam Project, have issued Forest Order STF-16-2026-03, effective Wednesday, April 15, through June 15, 2026, which closes the Beardsley Lake Boat Ramp for all use.
“Tri-Dam has been advised by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that the golden mussel is a threat to Beardsley Lake and all its associated infrastructure for water delivery and hydropower production,” explained Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken.
The Tri-Dam Project is a partnership between the Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID). They noted that the closure is needed to prevent the spread to Beardsley and to downstream partners, including Pacific Gas & Electric, the United States Bureau of Reclamation, irrigators, and water treatment plants in the valley. Forest officials added, “The action is aligned with actions taken by many reservoirs in California in response to the golden mussel threat.”
It was around this same time last year (reported here) that forest officials temporarily closed the Beardsley Lake Boat Ramp, along with recreational boating on Lake Tulloch, and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) suspended all boat launches in New Melones.
