(Submitted Photo/Government of Saskatchewan)

By Derek Craddock

STOP THE INVASION!

Guardians of the Lakes: How the province is looking to prevent aquatic invasive species

May 7, 2024 | 5:00 PM

With spring in full force, many Saskatchewan residents are getting their boats ready to hit nearby lakes but just like in previous years, there’s a warning to ensure you’re not bringing anything harmful into the waters.

Earlier this week, the Government of Saskatchewan marked the beginning of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Awareness Week. The initiative aims to prevent the spread and introduction of invasive plants, fish, and mussels.

The most common invasive mussels are the Zebra and Quagga. While those species have not made their home in Saskatchewan, that doesn’t mean the risk is any lower than in the rest of the country.

“We typically inspect anywhere around 4,000 boats in a season and so these are inspections that are done through our watercraft inspection program and also some in coordination with the Conservation Officer service in various parts of the province,” said Jeri Geiger with the Ministry of Environment.

Of those 4,000 inspections, Geiger said three watercraft were intercepted for invasive mussels. She noted that most of those inspected are leaving the province.

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“We do tend each year to see a combination of some that are staying in Saskatchewan, but a number of them are also carrying on into other parts of Western Canada,” she said, adding that one boat inspected was headed for Lake Diefenbaker.

Zebra and Quagga muscles came into Canada in 1980 and since then provincial and federal governments have spent around $7 billion to prevent those species from spreading.

The mussels, which are native to the Black and Caspian Sea regions in Europe, can have negative effects on freshwater habitats by altering food webs by removing native species’ food sources, like plankton. It also impacts fish spawning areas and leads to toxic algae which reduces water quality and can harm native species.

Different invasive species can end up costing the province billions of dollars in losses to fisheries and other industries vulnerable to their impacts

The Government of Saskatchewan said the invasive mussels spread between waterbodies on boats and gear and can survive out of the water for up to 30 days, which according to Geiger makes regular water inspection stations crucial.

“It is mandatory to stop at a watercraft inspection station if you are transporting a watercraft and you encounter a station,” she said. “It is mandatory to stop even if you’ve been previously inspected.”

Aside from boats, all water equipment and gear like life jackets must be inspected. The same goes for non-motorized boats like canoes or kayaks.

For those travelling through any of the lakes in central and northern Saskatchewan, Geiger said you should look for the water inspection stations on the highways and for inspectors to be at boat launch areas.

In 2023, the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds took samples in waterbodies to determine the presence of invasive species. These bodies include Candle Lake, Christopher Lake, Jackfish Lake, Tobin Lake and Little Manitou Lake.

The group hopes to expand the number of lakes sampled this year. Sampling starts in early June and runs until the end of September.

Other invasive species the province is watching out for include plants like the Flowering Rush, fish like the Prussian Carp, and invertebrates like Freshwater Jellyfish.

Throughout the week, the Ministry of Environment said it is focusing on the big message of prevention by sharing tips on its Facebook page and encouraging people to monitor for invasive species through the Adult Invasive Mussel Monitoring program.

There’s also the annual message from the province to Clean, Drain, and Dry.

“Making sure that your watercraft is completely free of any organisms or any organic debris chunks of plants, mud can harbour things like seeds or pathogens as well,” said Geiger. “Very small amounts of water can transport microscopic larva of aquatic invasive species and so we want the watercraft to be drained completely.”

-With files from the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com