Zebra mussels appear to be here to stay in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, a popular boating destination for summer tourists.
Parks Canada says hundreds of live juvenile zebra mussels were found in the fall, attached to docks and infrastructure near the east end of Clear Lake.
That is a different part of the lake from where they were first found and where a containment curtain had been installed to try to prevent them from spreading.
Parks Canada last year banned most personal watercraft, including non-motorized vessels such as canoes and standup paddle boards, from the water.
The department says trying to eradicate zebra mussels from the lake is not feasible and for this year, it is looking at allowing watercraft back on the lake if they are not used in any other body of water.
Zebra mussels are an invasive species that can cause ecological damage and harm water treatment infrastructure.
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“With input and advice from Indigenous advisers, the Province of Manitoba, and leading scientific and international experts, Parks Canada has determined that eradicating zebra mussels from Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park is not feasible,” the department said in a news release Tuesday.
“Going forward, the (prevention program) at Riding Mountain National Park should reduce the risk of spreading zebra mussels from Clear Lake to outlying water bodies and reduce the risk of introducing new invasive species.”
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