Boaters are once again looking forward to enjoying some time on the waters of Clear Lake in 2025 after Parks Canada announced it’s plans to permit watercraft on the lake, reversing a complete ban imposed last season.
The decision was made after the discovery of hundreds of live juvenile zebra mussels attached to docks and infrastructure near the east end of Clear Lake in the fall of 2024.
The discovery confirmed fears that zebra mussels are not isolated to the Boat Cove area of the lake, where they had previously been found and where the containment curtain had been installed and prompted a review of management actions.
With input and advice from Indigenous advisors, the Province of Manitoba, and leading scientific and international experts, it was determined that eradicating zebra mussels from Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park is not feasible.
But while access to the lake will be restored, it will not be a free-for-all as Parks Canada is looking to implement a “one boat, one lake” aquatic invasive species prevention program.
The program will be similar to 2023, where boat owners had their trailers tagged to only be used in Clear Lake and nowhere else.
The idea is that although controling the invasive species in the waters of Clear Lake is not possible at this time, zebra mussels are a real and significant threat to downstream waterbodies. These waterbodies flow through five First Nations, are important for agriculture, industry, and recreation, and provide drinking water for tens of thousands of people.
Within RMNP, Parks Canada is committed to managing the impacts of zebra mussels on the natural environment and the vitality of the local tourism economy.
As it decides how the one boat, one lake program will be applied this year, Parks Canada is seeking public input into the process.
Representatives will be set-up near the skating rink behind the Wasagaming Visitor Centre, Feb. 1 and 2 from noot to 4 p.m. People are invited to contribute input to the 2025 AIS Prevention Program as part of the Winter Adventure Weekend.
The information collected will be used to inform the management of Clear Lake’s aquatic invasive species prevention program for the coming year.
There is also an opportunity to provide input through an online questionnaire available until Feb. 28, at www.parks-parcs.simplesurvey.com/f/s/Clear-Lake-Riding-Mountain-2024
For more information and updates about zebra mussels, boating and aquatic invasive species prevention in Riding Mountain National Park visit www.parks.canada.ca.
