The East Bay Regional Parks District's change to its boat inspection policy, which uses lake-specific bands, is now in effect.

East Bay Municipal Utility District bands will no longer be accepted as of Wednesday, May 7. Instead, East Bay Parks will use color-coded, lake-specific bands.

Boaters will not have to pay an inspection fee again and get a shorter inspection if they have that lake's or reservoir's corresponding band intact and a copy of the prior inspection form.

If the band on the boat does not correspond to the lake being visited, a full inspection will be done, and an inspection fee will have to be paid again.

The inspection fee cost is $7 for motorized vessels, $4 for car-top watercraft or inflatables. People in both situations will still have to pay entrance and launching fees.

The inspections for kayaks, canoes, inflatables and other car-top watercraft have not changed.

The changes to the boat inspection policies comes as the Parks District and other water-related agencies try to prevent the invasive golden mussel from getting into waterways.