Inspect & Clean Watercraft

At the lake
Inspect and clean all watercraft, trailers, and gear after each day on the lake. Remove all sand, mud, water, and plant traces before leaving the shoreline.

Away from the lake
Rinse, scrub, or pressure wash your boat on dry land away from storm sewers, ditches, or waterways. Do not use a local car wash. You may unknowingly be introducing invasive species into local bodies of water if the water from the car wash is released into the environment.

Drain

• Before leaving for home drain all water from internal compartments such as ballasts, bilges, and live wells. Bait buckets, coolers, life jackets, and other gear may also retain water.
• Raise and lower outboard engines several times to ensure all water has drained out. Non-motorized watercraft can be inverted, or tilted, to allow water to drain.
• Don’t forget to pull the plug! In Alberta, it’s illegal to transport your watercraft with the drain plug still in place. Watercraft Users must demonstrate upon inspection that their watercraft has been drained of all standing water.

Dry
After washing, dry the watercraft and gear completely between trips and allow the wet areas of your boat to air dry. Leave compartments

Inspections:
Alberta Parks runs mandatory boat inspections during the summer months. To find out more about what to expect click: Watercraft Inspections.