Parks Canada is considering treatment options and bringing in third-party experts after multiple, living juvenile zebra mussels were once again discovered in Clear Lake.
The federal government issued a bulletin Tuesday confirming the invasive species’ discovery last week, noting federal and provincial representatives have confirmed the findings.
Parks Canada staff will now analyze options for treatment using the best evidence available and in consultation with third-party experts in the field, the bulletin reads.
The invasive mussels were first discovered in November 2023, and led to a tumultuous summer at Clear Lake. The federal government temporarily banned personal watercrafts for the summer in order to stop the spread, and installed a containment curtain at Boat Cove, which later dislodged and had to be removed.
An area of Clear Lake where an adult zebra mussel was found is shown in an undated, supplied photo. (Parks Canada)
Meantime, the temporary ban on personal watercraft is still in effect, and Boat Cove remains closed to the public until further notice.
Parks Canada has also said it will continue intensive monitoring during the remainder of the 2024 open water season for environmental DNA, veligers, and evidence of live zebra mussels in Clear Lake. It will continue until ice forms and will help determine whether plans for a potential eradication or control treatment using potash are feasible.
– With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre and Devon McKendrick