Containment of Lake of the Prairies ordered after zebra mussels found

Invasive mussels were detected in Lake of the Prairies, a shared body of water between Saskatchewan and Manitoba. (File image)

The Government of Saskatchewan has issued a containment order for Lake of the Prairies following the confirmation of zebra mussels in the body of water.

The province had previously reported the discovery of ‘veligers’ or the larvae of an invasive mussel species, thanks to the province’s routine surveillance monitoring program in the lake near Manitoba’s Highway 5 bridge.

In an update issued Monday afternoon, the province confirmed zebra mussels had been detected in the lake.

Both Saskatchewan and Manitoba will be collaborating on a joint response as the Lake of the Prairies crosses the interprovincial boundary.

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment has launched its Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Response Management Plan.

The containment orders require all watercraft and equipment that have come into contact with the Lake of the Prairies and the Assiniboine River from Highway 357 to the Manitoba border to be decontaminated before its use at any other body of water.

“The recent detection in Lake of the Prairies highlights the importance of ensuring all watercraft and water related equipment are cleaned, drained and dried after every use, no matter which waterbody you were last using,” Environment Minister Darlene Rowden said in a news release.

Manitoba has established a containment zone for its portion of Lake of the Prairies, also carrying a decontamination order.

Decontamination will be completed by trained officers within the ministry’s AIS program who are on location to support the compliance with the order.

Those who plan to move watercraft or equipment that’s been used in the containment order area can contact [e-mail] for inspection and decontamination.