Becoming a Watercraft Inspector

Becoming a watercraft inspector can be a rewarding experience for anyone that enjoys the water, be it lakes, oceans, or rivers. Often, these positions are done by someone in a neighborhood lake/water community that has an interest and sentimental attachment to the body of water that they perhaps live near. Sometimes they are paid employees of a lake community.

What is a Watercraft Inspector?

As a former lake resident in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, I saw a number of my own neighbors and friends do watercraft inspection time and time again. As lake residents themselves they were all committed to be part of keeping our communities lake healthy.

What is a watercraft inspector? A watercraft inspector is someone that inspects the watercrafts and boats of lake residents that live near the lake or visitors that are using their boat on the lake/river, in an effort to minimize invasive species that can make their way into the water via boats. This position is usually performed in April and runs until early October.

Watercraft inspectors will also post information at lake accesses, conduct invasive species plant removal, as well as other projects involving natural resources.

Watercraft inspectors are responsible for being present at lake accesses, providing face to face public education by informing boaters about the laws regarding aquatic invasive transportation of unwanted plant species and how these get transferred by boats. The inspector will also show boat owners how to remove and inspect aquatic invasive species from their boating equipment before they leave the lake access they have been at.

For someone that's a volunteer watercraft inspector, you may find that you can have more flexibility with scheduling, especially if you're part of a residential lake community. As a professional watercraft inspector, you will often times be employed on a full time basis and be stationed wherever the needs are greatest within the state you live.

Consider becoming a watercraft inspector for your lake community if you'd like to give back some of the good things to the lake, as a result of all the enjoyment and entertainment you receive from it all year round. If you enjoy living on the waterway, you'll likely enjoy being involved in keeping it free from harmful plant life.