Zebra mussels found in Lake of the Prairies

Lake lovers in Manitoba are worried the detection of zebra mussels in Lake of the Prairies could result in restrictions that give the local economy a rough ride.

Environmental officials have found samples of zebra mussels in the larval stage in Lake of the Prairies, a manmade reservoir on the Assiniboine River that straddles the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border.

Multiple zebra mussel veligers were detected in the lake as part of Manitoba’s routine monitoring program, and corroborated by followup sampling, said the provincial environment department on Friday.

All boats and any water-related equipment of any kind used on the Lake of the Prairies, also known as the Shellmouth Reservoir, must be decontaminated before being used on another body of water, officials said.

The Manitoba government has watercraft inspection stations set up throughout the province. Anyone transporting boats, motorized or not, is required to stop at inspection stations on their route.

Some property owners worry about a potential ban on boat and watercraft, such as the one put in place at Clear Lake a year ago, which was only lifted in May.

“That impacts everything,” said Karen Goraluk, who owns a rental property. “People aren’t going to come to the lake anymore and maybe they’re not going to rent the cabins anymore — because they can’t go fishing — so that’s not a good thing.”

The province has activated its aquatic invasive species early detection rapid response plan.

Officials have set up a joint Manitoba-Saskatchewan incident command structure, with help from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to co-ordinate a response.

Officials are developing a plan to implement a multi-jurisdictional containment plan.

Goraluk said the fact the province is trying to contain the invaders is “fantastic; if they can contain it.” She said if the invasive species becomes established in the lake, it’s a problem.

“If we can stop them now, then we don’t have to worry about it.”

Angie Steinwalt just bought a cabin as an investment in 2025, and she too is worried about the arrival of the mussels in the lake.

“I do believe it’s going to affect a lot of tourism and businesses that way,” she said. “The fishing right now on Lake of the Prairies is awesome, it always has been, and the zebra mussels … are going to wipe out all of that.”

Steinwalt said that would hurt businesses and the community. Efforts to contain the species don’t provide her with much comfort.

“I feel that once they’re in there, it’s kind of hard to prevent (them) from worsening really.”

She said if boats are banned, the effect on the area would be widespread because the fishing and boating economy is lucrative.

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca