Zebra mussels stopped from entering national park as they wreak havoc on Lake Winnipeg beach

A photo of Parks Canada employees conducting inspections on inflatable rafts in Riding Mountain National Park. (Source: Facebook/Riding Mountain National Park)

WINNIPEG -

An inspection station in Riding Mountain National Park stopped zebra mussels from entering the water system, an important find since the invasive mollusk is wreaking havoc on Lake Winnipeg beaches.

According to a social media post from the park, staff found zebra mussels on a visitor's boat anchor.

"Thanks to the visitor's due diligence of getting their boat inspected by AIS Inspectors, the zebra mussels were apprehended and a full decontamination was completed upon inspection," read the post.

Parks Canada said it is vital all watercraft, including inflatable and toys, be inspected and decontaminated before entering any body of water in the park.

Riding Mountain National Park said it has noticed an increase in visitors avoiding the inspection/decontamination and launching in lesser-used park waters.

"Refusing to get your watercraft inspected/decontaminated can have extremely harmful ecological effects on all park waters and can deem the water unusable for wildlife and recreational use," also read the park's post.

The harmful effects of zebra mussels can be found on Hillside Beach, which is located on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg.

The Hillside Community Association said shells covering the beaches have been a problem for several years.

"Our community association has been advocating for a sustainable collaboration between the Provincial government, our Rural Municipality and other East beach communities," said Lynnette Froese, current president of the association, in a statement to CTV News.

"We face challenges with permits for removal and disposal delayed and the need for methods that are funded and supported by more than the small associations and volunteers."

The association said it does receive some money from the RM of Alexander for the transport and disposal of shells.

According to Froese, annual clean-up effort have been halted due to pandemic concerns, leaving the beach covered in shells.

Until a sustainable solution is found for shell removal, it is up to many hands to make light work, the association said.