'Devastating': Clear Lake watercraft ban will have an impact, business owners say
CTV
Businesses in the Clear Lake area are concerned about the future following a temporary ban on watercraft from entering the lake.
Businesses in the Clear Lake area are concerned about the future following a temporary ban on watercraft from entering the lake.
Parks Canada announced on Thursday that all personal watercraft, including vessels like canoes and paddle boards, are not allowed in Clear Lake.
The ban is being put in place after zebra mussels were found in the lake last year.
Dameon Wall, the external relations manager at Riding Mountain National Park, said zebra mussels can have devastating effects on any body of water.
"They change the ecology of that water body. They affect the food web, often having very bad effects for native fish populations, certainly for native mussel populations," said Wall.
He said there will be a few exemptions to the ban – the Martese tour boat and a vessel from Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation will both be allowed on the water, as well as any emergency vehicles or boats being used for scientific purposes.
The next step now that the ban is in place is to take water samples and send them back for testing.
