The District of Lakeland Environmental Advisory Committee takes this issue very seriously and has over the past few years partnered with the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council (NSRBC) to address this potential invasion and to promote the Clean, Drain and Dry program. To this end, educational materials have been displayed and made available for the public in the District office and signage has been erected at all public and private docks on Anglin, Christopher, Emma and McPhee lakes. Volunteers from the committee also deploy mussel traps from the public docks at the boat launches during the summer, regularly checking them and reporting inspection findings to the NSRBC.
Please watch a video about the clean, drain, and dry method to stop the transfer of aquatic invasive species.
Background
Co-ordinated by the Government of Saskatchewan’s Fish, Wildlife and Lands Branch, the Adult Invasive Mussel Monitoring (AIMM) Program is a partnership project with other non-government organizations (NGOs) and agencies to monitor waterbodies throughout Saskatchewan for aquatic invasive species (AIS) and adult invasive mussels.
Monitoring adult invasive mussels (e.g. zebra and quagga mussels) and other AIS is an important element of early detection in Saskatchewan. This protocol was developed by combining materials from Wisconsin, California, Alberta and British Columbia, with the goal of having a pragmatic, cost-effective monitoring program that provides a valuable tool for widespread early detection of AIS in waterbodies throughout Saskatchewan.
The objective is to establish partnerships with community organizations, including local stewardship, administrative, community and business groups, to provide valuable local involvement, information and data in a coordinated and collaborative manner.
Zebra and quagga mussels are a type of AIS that are threatening the livelihood of Saskatchewan waters. These mussels have been transported by freight boats and other watercraft from the ocean into freshwater.
Zebra and quagga mussels have adapted to the North American environment and started to migrate and thrive, reproducing at a rapid rate. One adult mussel can produce up to one million veligers (baby mussels) which are hard to detect, as they are small and invisible to the naked eye. Veligers are small enough to infiltrate water treatment systems, fire protection systems, dams and water movement pipes causing serious problems as they grow into adult mussels. They can grow on top of each other which can lead to blocked pipes. In North America, 34 states and three provinces have been contaminated with these types of mussels, including Montana, North Dakota and Manitoba.
(Source: Saskatchewan Adult Invasive Mussel Monitoring Guide)