The Ministry of Environment is upping their inspection capabilities in an effort to ensure aquatic invasive species, like zebra mussels, are kept out of Saskatchewan waters.
Of particular concern for the province is the southeast area, where the Boundary, Rafferty and Alameda reservoirs are heavily used for recreational and fishing.
Chad Doherty, area fisheries biologist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment in Meadow Lake, said there is work ongoing to implement an early detection system and an early response plan. Those plans will outline a specific sequence of steps that must be taken upon the confirmation of an invasive species’ presence in one of the province’s waterways.
There have also been amendments made to Saskatchewan’s fisheries legislation that enhance the ability of the province and officers to inspect, quarantine and decontaminate a high-risk watercraft.
This week a number of staff will be trained in quarantines and decontamination. The ministry will follow up by running a pilot season of watercraft inspection focusing on the southeast area of the province.
“We’re trying to take a bit of a triage approach and really identifying the Manitoba border and the southeast as the entry point,” said Doherty, who noted the confirmation of zebra mussels in Lake Winnipeg in October 2013 has heightened the concern across the western provinces.
The main pathway for an aquatic invasive species to be introduced into a body of water is through watercraft and related equipment that is transported from one body of water to another over land.
“One of the factors that really come into play is how good a lot of invasive species are at being resilient,” said Doherty. “In the case of invasive mussels, they can actually live out of water for 30 days and potentially even longer, depending on the conditions that they actually experience.
“It’s part of the biology of invasive mussels and aquatic invasive species in general that allow them to be so good at establishing themselves if conditions are appropriate,” he added.
If the conditions aren’t ideal, well, the species are also very flexible and can adapt. They are early to mature and can reproduce significantly within a single spawning season, and they can attach and thrive in nearly any aquatic environment.
“In the case of the invasive mussels, they have the ability to heavily colonize both hard and soft substrates, the lake or river bottom or any kind of water related infrastructure like intakes or boat docks,” said Doherty.
The potential impact can be widespread, influencing aquatic habitats and damaging fishery resources.
“There is a tremendous amount of interest in (preventing an infestation),” said Dave Pattyson, Upper Souris Watershed Association co-ordinator. “For the angling community, should one of their favourite fishing spots become infested with zebra mussels, it probably will irreversibly change the ecosystem of that body of water. It may not be the good fishing spot it once was.”
What the Ministry of Environment is focusing on now is increased monitoring by working with groups like the USWA.
Watershed personnel like Pattyson, stationed at the three reservoirs within the watershed, have completed more than 130 boat inspections since May 1. And while official inspections are regularly occurring, all boaters are encouraged to conduct self-inspections of their crafts.
“Invasive mussels particularly, but other invasive species as well can be extremely difficult if not impossible to eliminate once they become introduced and established to a water body,” said Doherty.
Ultimately, prevention is the key, because once an invasive species is introduced into a new environment, the negative side effects can begin rapidly. The reservoirs and waterways in the southeast area of the province have been identified as highly at risk, because of the proximity to areas that have developed zebra mussel infestations and the high recreational usage the water in this area sees. From recreational boaters to anglers, there are a lot of boats entering the local reservoirs.
It is recommended that boaters inspect their craft each time they exit a body of water. Once it’s loaded on a trailer, it’s time to clean, drain and dry the boat to ensure no invasive plant or animal species have latched on for a ride into new territory.
Doherty said physical contact with the underside of a boat is necessary, because a visual inspection may not be thorough enough. In their early stages, a zebra mussel may not be easy to spot. By rubbing a hand across a boat’s surface, granular spots that feel similar to sandpaper may signal the presence of a mussel.
Live wells, bilges and ballast tanks must all be drained, and Doherty noted another area to check for settled water is in the motor area of a boat.
Drying is necessary to allow for desiccation or exposure to air so various parts of a boat can dry completely, including equipment and gear.
“A wet, dark, cold compartment is a great area for them to live,” Doherty said of zebra mussels. In the larval stage, they can survive in any standing water.
Any potential sightings are to be reported to the nearest Ministry of Environment office or to call the tip line.
