Saskatchewan residents are asked to clean, drain and dry their boats to stop the spread of invasive species.
Karla Rae Rudolph from the Swift Current Watershed Stewards,says the zebra mussel was discovered in Lake Winnipeg this past year.
"These species are really, really challenging to deal with once they get into a system. They completely alter the natural ecology of an aquatic system - they change nutrient cycles and they out-compete with our naive mussels and can radically reduce the populations of our existing indigenous mussel species," she said.
With origins in Europe, the zebra mussel is an aquatic invasive species that poses a threat of becoming established in the province.
"That's something worth checking into and taking a look at some online pictures or coming to talk to us in our offices to see if that is indeed a zebra mussel," Rudulph said.
Other invasive species such as whirling disease, Eurasian water milfoil and purple loosestrife have been found in Saskatchewan or pose a real threat of becoming established here.
Rudolph says you can call the Watershed Stewards office if you happen to spot one at 773-4607.
Fri, Apr 26, 10:00 AM
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