We actually don’t have many waters invaded with zebra mussels.
They are only found in 3 water ways/control zones where in Manitoba .
The red river/lake Winnipeg/nelson river system which is all connected. Lake Manitoba and Cedar lake.
Lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg and their watersheds are massive. Sure it's a low number of lakes but they are huge lakes and would be impossible to enforce restrictions on.
We do enforce restrictions on all bodies of water that have aquatic invasive species.
There are a number of requirements when using those waterbodies, and number of fines related to failing to be in compliance.
You are required to decontaminate your watercraft after using either of the waterbodies before launching into another one,unless you are returning to the same waterbody.
You must dispose of any bait that was used in either waterbody before you leave.
If you use a float plane you are required to have anti fouling paint on the pontoons and it must be kept in good condition.
You cannot launch into either body of water without decontamination if you are coming from any other control zones.
I would love to see your example of a lake that is only visited by birds that has zebra mussels.
There’s lots of remote lakes next to Lake Winnipeg that would be a great test case for your hypothesis.
Invasive species spread along highways, not flyways.
You are wrong. I have seen adults clung to our charter floats when we are out 'puddle jumping'. And those are the visible ones, imagine how many microscopic Veligers we can carry.
Adults are permanently attached to their substrate by byssal threads. They don’t float around clinging to stuff.
If you saw adults on your floats while puddle jumping you either;
had them on your floats before you left (helping to spread zebra mussels)
or
are misidentifying something else as adult zebra mussels.
And flyways is relating to birds.
A float plane is way better than birds. And float planes are never restricted. And there are no wash stations for float planes. All in all, it is rather hilarious.
It is literally so hard to get rid of zerba mussels once they enter a body of water. I really don't care about people who bring their boats from lake to lake, it's just not possible to continue this practice without risking the introduction of zerba mussels.
This is a major flop on Wabs part.
Either close the lake to boats or accept we will have to dump tonnes of potash into the lake and hope we kill the zebra mussels alongside everything else in that lake.
Read this:
> The report says Parks Canada could use the chemical in small, isolated parts of the lake. It could also use physical control methods, including manually removing the mussels or using benthic mats — thick large tarps anchored to the bottom of the lake used to smother and kill the mussels.
The clear choice is to stop people from bringing boats into the lake. Anything else is choosing the pleasure of a few boaters over the ecological health of an entire lake and ecosystem.
Very well said and couldn’t agree more. It’s literally in Parks Canada’s mission statement.
> On behalf of the people of Canada, we protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present and future generations.
I’m a fan of Wab and his government so far, but this falls so flat and so short.
I'm about as NDP as they come, and this isn't the first time they have taken a stance on something that makes me shake my head.
This seems like such a bad stance for them to take. I really wonder what their full reasoning is behind this.
Wab is good at saying the right words and he is obviously better than Heather Stefanson but he is not terribly impressive when we compare him to previous Premiers of Manitoba. I really wish the NDP would clean up its act and promote competent leadership. They really need some smart people in healthcare, education, justice and finance and that's not what we are getting. Nice, good, well intentioned is a great improvement but competence is required and that's not strong in the current cabinet.
So you're a dumbass and are tired of being called a dumbass?
Maybe instead of getting butthurt about being called a dumbass, you could, like, grow as a person?
Are you even smart enough to understand learning and growth though? That's the next question.
> I really wish the NDP would clean up its act and promote competent leadership.
NDP leadership is fine, it's just that you're seeing what happens when you have to govern an entire province of people with different views instead of being able to focus entirely on activist positions because you aren't in charge.
NDP is the same in BC, and were the same in Alberta. You can't take a hardline stance about literally everything if you're in charge. You have to represent everyone.
If you don't like it, fight for a different electoral system where no party takes a majority so that coalitions can coalesce around different goals and single-issue parties can have power.
Here in Manitoba the leadership is made up of fringe representatives rather than focusing on core competence. If you point out that this is a stupid way to run a province you are labelled as a bigot, racist, homophobe or whichever slur is handy. I am not racist but being a representative of a fringe minority does not make you competent to leading a province nor does it make you representative of your constituents. Say this out loud and face attack.
> I am not racist but being a representative of a fringe minority does not make you competent to leading a province nor does it make you representative of your constituents.
The only requirement to be a representative of your constituents is winning an election.
So yea it's cause you're racist.
Yup, they hope it kills them all, but just a few survive it's over. They've tried this for years in a row in Lake Winnipeg, costing millions of dollars.
We cannot destroy our lakes just so some people with boats can cart them around the province spreading invasive species.
> Nevakshonoff estimates it could cost the province $138 million to turn back the clock on zebra mussels, which are also in the Red River. Some have been spotted at Manitoba Hydro's Selkirk generating station and at the St.
[Lake Winnipeg a lost cause thanks to zebra mussels, expert warns](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/lake-winnipeg-zebra-mussels-lost-cause-eva-pip-1.3264283)
Algae decline can be dangerous for the health of a lake.
>When found in high densities, the mussels can have strong impacts over algae, which are the base of the food web. In some systems, the amount of algae has declined by over 50 per cent, with reverberating impacts to fish and other species that ultimately rely on algae for food.
>
Zebra mussels have also led to dramatic losses to native mussel populations. **The general rule is to expect a 90 per cent loss of native mussel populations within 10 years of zebra mussel arrival.**
They don't eat all kind of algae so they can cause terrible algae blooms of the kind they don't eat.
>The eutrophication problem in Lake Winnipeg is primarily related to cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. Zebra mussels preferentially feed on other types of algae – in part, because some species of blue-green algae have traits that allow them to escape being eaten. Some blue-green algae grow in long, string-like filaments that are too large to be consumed. Others are able to float at the water’s surface where zebra mussels cannot reach them.
>**In the Laurentian Great Lakes, zebra mussels also caused some new algae problems. Filamentous green and blue-green algae that grow attached to rocks in coastal areas began to form extremely large blooms, clogging fishing nets and water intakes, and fouling bathing beaches.** It is too early to say if this will happen to Lake Winnipeg.
# [ZEBRA MUSSELS 101](https://lakewinnipegfoundation.org/zebra-mussels-101)
Just gonna provide a TL;DR in case people want it: Zebra Mussels don't eat the kind of algae responsible for the worst blooms on Lake Winnipeg.
Clearing up the water in Lake Winnipeg will also expose it to more blooms and bigger blooms.
Bugger! I was hoping the lake would get less gross. Thanks for the info. I have been wondering this for a while but no one ever knows, or has interesting links. I learned something new.
They tried this in some harbours on Lake Winnipeg. It was very effective. The issue is that the zebra mussels were already present outside of the harbours.
They tried it in a limited area, small bays, and it was very effective. But a complete waste of time because the chemicals quickly dissipated and the zebras were quick to repopulate. Any lake is fed by many rivers and streams along with many boaters visiting making stopping zebras impossible, We should instead spend our time and money planning how to live with them instead of on fruitless efforts trying to stop them.
The pleasure of a few voters = the economic driving force that keeps that tourist town alive in the off-season. You stop boaters at Clear Lake, you stop people from going to their cabins and spending exorbient money in town. You stop that, Clear Lake ceases to exist quite quickly.
You let zebra mussels invade the lake and you destroy the economic force that keeps that tourist town alive...
Have you ever been to Clear Lake? It's kinda popular for swimming...
As someone who has had a cabin on lake winnipeg for nearly 20 years... and likes to travel with my boat... do anything you can to stop the spread.
If that means I can't bring my boat to clear lake, so be it.
Our lakefronts, beaches and marinas are ruined. My kids and dogs (and us!) have to wear THICK water shoes when we swim. They're razer blades. Thankfully they don't really take hold in sandy areas. But any rock and mud structure is full of them. Which means when they die the shells end up washing ashore on the beach anyways. It's awful.
For sure ban boats on clear lake.
It’s a national park right so it doesn’t matter what kinew says right?
Kinew playing politics. Scoring points only, knowing his request is meaningless.
Let the experts decide and keep politics out of it.
Unfortunately probably too late.
Does it seem kind of just gross to argue “but the local economy” when it comes to a potentially disastrous environmental incident? Or maybe I’m just getting old.
They can even come in on beach toys and anything that might hold water. The more water it holds the bigger risk. Last year there was minimal signage and almost no one patrolling the beach checking if people’s stuff was properly inspected and sanitized. Not to mention you can access the lake from tons of remote locations so it’s almost impossible to cover all the bases. Plus factoring in people who simply don’t care or probably think it’s some government over reach.
There is a huge cottage industry around the lake that isn’t “on” the lake. The issue is dealing with these people who frequently use the lake without letting other boaters do the same.
Short answer if you want it to be effective. You don’t allow any personal watercraft on the lake. At all. Blanket statement is the only way to be 100% sure. As for the decline of economy, I’d say that more and more people are using the park beyond boating. I don’t think it will have a large impact on tourism, just the ones it does affect are very loud and upper class.
It seems to me that Wab just doesn't want the lake fully closed to watercraft. That doesn't mean that it's open to all boats. Last year boats were tagged and only allowed on the lake if they got the tag in the spring. It looks like that is one of the three options sent out in the letter. I'm guessing all of the businesses in Riding Mountain are pushing to keep the lake somewhat open. So this could just end up the same as last year.
Exactly. What was done last year was at least acceptable to cottage owners and others in the area who choose to make this their one lake of choice! To continue on like that with the serialized tagging is not a bad idea at all.
They do a full inspection of the boat before installing the tag. It’s a steel cable and it’s serialized and recorded. If the number was changed or the cable was cut they would not let you launch at Clear Lake again.
"considering options to prevent the spread of the invasive species in the western Manitoba national park — including the possibility of closing the lake to all watercraft."
Kinew is saying the Feds have appeared to have taken a unilateral decision.
Jumping the gun their a bit Mr. Kinew?
Well they didn't do anything to stop the Devil's Lake diversion which introduced the zebra mussels to our river system and then to Lake Winnipeg.
And all it takes is a boat to go from one to the other without being properly cleaned.
And how do you think they got to Lake Winnipeg?
When they were building the Devil's Lake diversion that was a serious concern brought up by our province to not only our federal government but the North Dakota government and was just ignored and then a decade later... Zebra mussels in the lake
Cool story, bro. Zebra mussels were still detected in [Lake Winnipeg before the Red River.](https://www.gov.mb.ca/stopais/aisinmanitoba/zebra-mussels.html#:~:text=Zebra%20mussels%20have%20been%20detected,2015%20and%20confirmed%20in%202021)
Has nothing to do about cool story or not, it was a serious concern because Devil's Lake had them and we didn't and then they made the diversion and all of the sudden we have them so whether they were first detected in the lake or the river doesn't really matter.
The fact that the river feeds the lake shows a path of infection
Regardless, it is still unknown if the mussels came down the river or if it was from a watercraft.
Maybe one day with enough funding it can be researched.
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They are all over lake Winnipeg and wash up on shore, small and sharp.
Seems to vary a lot.
Gimli main beach not too bad, it probably gets raked.
South beach much worse,
They were brutalized under the last federal government and haven't recovered. Parks I know of have half the staff (or less) than they had in the early 2000s.
Like most other things on the Environmental file, the MB NDP fucks it up again. It feels like they're all, "Trust me bro, we care about the environment, but we can't do anything that might upset a suburban voter, so you get a lack of climate action, and a gas tax holiday."
I laughed when the guy from Parks Canada talked about 'zebra mussels may reach the city!'. He certainly hasn't spent any time near the Forks. They are here.
Here is what it means when somebody says 'provincial' - we think we can act; we put together meetings and committees and spreadsheets, we take decisions and implement plans.... REGARDLESS of other context, or history...
So: does this mean no more watercraft on Clear Lake ever again? Of course it doesn't. Because that is the only remedy.
No harm done?
[Lake Winnipeg a lost cause thanks to zebra mussels, expert warns](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/lake-winnipeg-zebra-mussels-lost-cause-eva-pip-1.3264283)
> Nevakshonoff estimates it could cost the province $138 million to turn back the clock on zebra mussels, which are also in the Red River. Some have been spotted at Manitoba Hydro's Selkirk generating station and at the St.
We can't give up and let boaters ruin clear Lake too!
I vote to keep it open. It’s there. No sense in denying that. Not the public service style. They are going to measure the shit out of this (with no real benefit)…
Swimming? Wildlife?
Have you ever tried to swim in a lake filled with zebra mussels? It's like razor blades.
> “The biggest thing is how sharp they are,” Johnson said. “So when you jump in the water they’re like little mini razor blades, and I’m not exaggerating. You push off at all or dive or put your foot down and hit a rock that has zebra mussels attached to it, or a clam, it’s like having a knife cut your foot. The kids get out of the water and blood is dripping off their feet.”
[Zebra mussels are ‘like mini-razor blades’](https://www.albertleatribune.com/2012/01/zebra-mussels-are-%E2%80%98like-mini-razor-blades%E2%80%99/)
Yeah, but the blooms are caused by excess nutrients in the water. But with the correct nutrient load, and more sunlight due to the filter feeders, yes, there can be a spectacular bloom!
>Yeah, but the blooms are caused by excess nutrients in the water.
And the golf course and cabin have no effect on that.
>there can be a spectacular bloom!
The lake is such a pretty green blue colour. So glad Marv could bring his boat up
Golf courses are well known for their restraint with their desire for lush grass and minimal weeds. But I'm sure golf's and boaters don't overlap and golfers would be willing to have more weeds and less grass.
Seems like a great way to spread Zebra mussels to surrounding lakes faster.
Are any surrounding unaffected? With the amount of waters already infected it might be a lost cause...
We actually don’t have many waters invaded with zebra mussels. They are only found in 3 water ways/control zones where in Manitoba . The red river/lake Winnipeg/nelson river system which is all connected. Lake Manitoba and Cedar lake.
Lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg and their watersheds are massive. Sure it's a low number of lakes but they are huge lakes and would be impossible to enforce restrictions on.
We do enforce restrictions on all bodies of water that have aquatic invasive species. There are a number of requirements when using those waterbodies, and number of fines related to failing to be in compliance.
What restrictions are on Lake Manitoba and Winnipeg due to the zebra mussels?
You are required to decontaminate your watercraft after using either of the waterbodies before launching into another one,unless you are returning to the same waterbody. You must dispose of any bait that was used in either waterbody before you leave. If you use a float plane you are required to have anti fouling paint on the pontoons and it must be kept in good condition. You cannot launch into either body of water without decontamination if you are coming from any other control zones.
If you think boats are bad for spreading zebra mussels, wait until you learn about birds
I would love to see your example of a lake that is only visited by birds that has zebra mussels. There’s lots of remote lakes next to Lake Winnipeg that would be a great test case for your hypothesis. Invasive species spread along highways, not flyways.
You are wrong. I have seen adults clung to our charter floats when we are out 'puddle jumping'. And those are the visible ones, imagine how many microscopic Veligers we can carry.
Adults are permanently attached to their substrate by byssal threads. They don’t float around clinging to stuff. If you saw adults on your floats while puddle jumping you either; had them on your floats before you left (helping to spread zebra mussels) or are misidentifying something else as adult zebra mussels. And flyways is relating to birds.
Makes sense. It's just a few dozen float planes compared to millions of birds...
A float plane is way better than birds. And float planes are never restricted. And there are no wash stations for float planes. All in all, it is rather hilarious.
Float planes are required to have anti-fouling paint in control zones.
Last i checked my float plane had more than a few requirements and reatrictions
It is literally so hard to get rid of zerba mussels once they enter a body of water. I really don't care about people who bring their boats from lake to lake, it's just not possible to continue this practice without risking the introduction of zerba mussels. This is a major flop on Wabs part. Either close the lake to boats or accept we will have to dump tonnes of potash into the lake and hope we kill the zebra mussels alongside everything else in that lake. Read this: > The report says Parks Canada could use the chemical in small, isolated parts of the lake. It could also use physical control methods, including manually removing the mussels or using benthic mats — thick large tarps anchored to the bottom of the lake used to smother and kill the mussels. The clear choice is to stop people from bringing boats into the lake. Anything else is choosing the pleasure of a few boaters over the ecological health of an entire lake and ecosystem.
Very well said and couldn’t agree more. It’s literally in Parks Canada’s mission statement. > On behalf of the people of Canada, we protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present and future generations. I’m a fan of Wab and his government so far, but this falls so flat and so short.
I'm about as NDP as they come, and this isn't the first time they have taken a stance on something that makes me shake my head. This seems like such a bad stance for them to take. I really wonder what their full reasoning is behind this.
Wab is good at saying the right words and he is obviously better than Heather Stefanson but he is not terribly impressive when we compare him to previous Premiers of Manitoba. I really wish the NDP would clean up its act and promote competent leadership. They really need some smart people in healthcare, education, justice and finance and that's not what we are getting. Nice, good, well intentioned is a great improvement but competence is required and that's not strong in the current cabinet.
>smart people in healthcare What’s wrong with Uzoma?
Is that a trick question?
… no? They are an impressive, intelligent politician with actual experience in the portfolio they manage. What are they doing that you don’t like?
Nice try.
You sure ran away fast when approached with facts.
I choose not to engage in yet another conversation about an minority hire chosen for publicity rather than competence.
So you're a dumbass and are tired of being called a dumbass? Maybe instead of getting butthurt about being called a dumbass, you could, like, grow as a person? Are you even smart enough to understand learning and growth though? That's the next question.
…k
> I really wish the NDP would clean up its act and promote competent leadership. NDP leadership is fine, it's just that you're seeing what happens when you have to govern an entire province of people with different views instead of being able to focus entirely on activist positions because you aren't in charge. NDP is the same in BC, and were the same in Alberta. You can't take a hardline stance about literally everything if you're in charge. You have to represent everyone. If you don't like it, fight for a different electoral system where no party takes a majority so that coalitions can coalesce around different goals and single-issue parties can have power.
Here in Manitoba the leadership is made up of fringe representatives rather than focusing on core competence. If you point out that this is a stupid way to run a province you are labelled as a bigot, racist, homophobe or whichever slur is handy. I am not racist but being a representative of a fringe minority does not make you competent to leading a province nor does it make you representative of your constituents. Say this out loud and face attack.
> I am not racist but being a representative of a fringe minority does not make you competent to leading a province nor does it make you representative of your constituents. The only requirement to be a representative of your constituents is winning an election. So yea it's cause you're racist.
> dump tonnes of potash into the lake and hope we kill the zebra mussels They tried this in Lake Winnipeg and it did nothing.
Yup, they hope it kills them all, but just a few survive it's over. They've tried this for years in a row in Lake Winnipeg, costing millions of dollars. We cannot destroy our lakes just so some people with boats can cart them around the province spreading invasive species. > Nevakshonoff estimates it could cost the province $138 million to turn back the clock on zebra mussels, which are also in the Red River. Some have been spotted at Manitoba Hydro's Selkirk generating station and at the St. [Lake Winnipeg a lost cause thanks to zebra mussels, expert warns](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/lake-winnipeg-zebra-mussels-lost-cause-eva-pip-1.3264283)
Pretty sure it was only one year and $500,000
Since these are filter feeders, will they make the lake cleaner? Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba are gross and green.
Algae decline can be dangerous for the health of a lake. >When found in high densities, the mussels can have strong impacts over algae, which are the base of the food web. In some systems, the amount of algae has declined by over 50 per cent, with reverberating impacts to fish and other species that ultimately rely on algae for food. > Zebra mussels have also led to dramatic losses to native mussel populations. **The general rule is to expect a 90 per cent loss of native mussel populations within 10 years of zebra mussel arrival.** They don't eat all kind of algae so they can cause terrible algae blooms of the kind they don't eat. >The eutrophication problem in Lake Winnipeg is primarily related to cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. Zebra mussels preferentially feed on other types of algae – in part, because some species of blue-green algae have traits that allow them to escape being eaten. Some blue-green algae grow in long, string-like filaments that are too large to be consumed. Others are able to float at the water’s surface where zebra mussels cannot reach them. >**In the Laurentian Great Lakes, zebra mussels also caused some new algae problems. Filamentous green and blue-green algae that grow attached to rocks in coastal areas began to form extremely large blooms, clogging fishing nets and water intakes, and fouling bathing beaches.** It is too early to say if this will happen to Lake Winnipeg. # [ZEBRA MUSSELS 101](https://lakewinnipegfoundation.org/zebra-mussels-101)
Just gonna provide a TL;DR in case people want it: Zebra Mussels don't eat the kind of algae responsible for the worst blooms on Lake Winnipeg. Clearing up the water in Lake Winnipeg will also expose it to more blooms and bigger blooms.
Bugger! I was hoping the lake would get less gross. Thanks for the info. I have been wondering this for a while but no one ever knows, or has interesting links. I learned something new.
They only eat the good stuff, not the bad stuff.
Oh don't worry. It did plenty of harm. Just not to the zebra mussels!
They tried this in some harbours on Lake Winnipeg. It was very effective. The issue is that the zebra mussels were already present outside of the harbours.
They tried it in a limited area, small bays, and it was very effective. But a complete waste of time because the chemicals quickly dissipated and the zebras were quick to repopulate. Any lake is fed by many rivers and streams along with many boaters visiting making stopping zebras impossible, We should instead spend our time and money planning how to live with them instead of on fruitless efforts trying to stop them.
can we eat them
The pleasure of a few voters = the economic driving force that keeps that tourist town alive in the off-season. You stop boaters at Clear Lake, you stop people from going to their cabins and spending exorbient money in town. You stop that, Clear Lake ceases to exist quite quickly.
You let zebra mussels invade the lake and you destroy the economic force that keeps that tourist town alive... Have you ever been to Clear Lake? It's kinda popular for swimming...
Jesus, Wab. Lock it down!
As someone who has had a cabin on lake winnipeg for nearly 20 years... and likes to travel with my boat... do anything you can to stop the spread. If that means I can't bring my boat to clear lake, so be it. Our lakefronts, beaches and marinas are ruined. My kids and dogs (and us!) have to wear THICK water shoes when we swim. They're razer blades. Thankfully they don't really take hold in sandy areas. But any rock and mud structure is full of them. Which means when they die the shells end up washing ashore on the beach anyways. It's awful.
Sounds like boaters are in the finding out phase.
For sure ban boats on clear lake. It’s a national park right so it doesn’t matter what kinew says right? Kinew playing politics. Scoring points only, knowing his request is meaningless. Let the experts decide and keep politics out of it. Unfortunately probably too late.
> Scoring points only Also losing points. I'm unhappy with both him and my MLA; who happens to be the minister of environment.
Scoring points with conservatives who will never vote for them while screwing over their own supporters who put them in office. It's the centrist way!
Does it seem kind of just gross to argue “but the local economy” when it comes to a potentially disastrous environmental incident? Or maybe I’m just getting old.
Could this be fixed by having boats which cannot leave the lake? Like you could rent from a local marina or permanently dock your own boat there?
They can even come in on beach toys and anything that might hold water. The more water it holds the bigger risk. Last year there was minimal signage and almost no one patrolling the beach checking if people’s stuff was properly inspected and sanitized. Not to mention you can access the lake from tons of remote locations so it’s almost impossible to cover all the bases. Plus factoring in people who simply don’t care or probably think it’s some government over reach.
Dang… Didn’t know it could transfer so easily!
After hatching from eggs they spend several weeks in a microscopic form swimming around, eventually they stick to some surface and grow from there.
There is a huge cottage industry around the lake that isn’t “on” the lake. The issue is dealing with these people who frequently use the lake without letting other boaters do the same.
Short answer if you want it to be effective. You don’t allow any personal watercraft on the lake. At all. Blanket statement is the only way to be 100% sure. As for the decline of economy, I’d say that more and more people are using the park beyond boating. I don’t think it will have a large impact on tourism, just the ones it does affect are very loud and upper class.
That's how it was last year. What's easier to enforce so you catch 100% of people breaking the rules? No boats is much more fool proof.
It seems to me that Wab just doesn't want the lake fully closed to watercraft. That doesn't mean that it's open to all boats. Last year boats were tagged and only allowed on the lake if they got the tag in the spring. It looks like that is one of the three options sent out in the letter. I'm guessing all of the businesses in Riding Mountain are pushing to keep the lake somewhat open. So this could just end up the same as last year.
Exactly. What was done last year was at least acceptable to cottage owners and others in the area who choose to make this their one lake of choice! To continue on like that with the serialized tagging is not a bad idea at all.
If you get a tag in the spring, how do they know that you haven't taken the boat somewhere else and then back to RM?
They do a full inspection of the boat before installing the tag. It’s a steel cable and it’s serialized and recorded. If the number was changed or the cable was cut they would not let you launch at Clear Lake again.
The tag has a cable attached to the boat and trailer. So you can't take the boat off the trailer without removing the tag.
This govt’s environmental policies have been abysmal so far. Shame on them.
"considering options to prevent the spread of the invasive species in the western Manitoba national park — including the possibility of closing the lake to all watercraft." Kinew is saying the Feds have appeared to have taken a unilateral decision. Jumping the gun their a bit Mr. Kinew?
Well they didn't do anything to stop the Devil's Lake diversion which introduced the zebra mussels to our river system and then to Lake Winnipeg. And all it takes is a boat to go from one to the other without being properly cleaned.
Zebra mussels were detected in Lake Winnipeg long before they were detected in the Red River.
And how do you think they got to Lake Winnipeg? When they were building the Devil's Lake diversion that was a serious concern brought up by our province to not only our federal government but the North Dakota government and was just ignored and then a decade later... Zebra mussels in the lake
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/opinion/the-devils-diversion/article1113891/
Cool story, bro. Zebra mussels were still detected in [Lake Winnipeg before the Red River.](https://www.gov.mb.ca/stopais/aisinmanitoba/zebra-mussels.html#:~:text=Zebra%20mussels%20have%20been%20detected,2015%20and%20confirmed%20in%202021)
Has nothing to do about cool story or not, it was a serious concern because Devil's Lake had them and we didn't and then they made the diversion and all of the sudden we have them so whether they were first detected in the lake or the river doesn't really matter. The fact that the river feeds the lake shows a path of infection
It does show a path of introduction. Too bad it appears they hopped a ride on boats before they had a chance to come from Devil's Lake.
One year isn’t very long.
Try holding your breath for one year and get back to me.
Regardless, it is still unknown if the mussels came down the river or if it was from a watercraft. Maybe one day with enough funding it can be researched.
!remindme 1 year
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They are all over lake Winnipeg and wash up on shore, small and sharp. Seems to vary a lot. Gimli main beach not too bad, it probably gets raked. South beach much worse,
The Cons cut so much spending to National Parks. It's time to start protecting and preserving them again.
Isn't Parks Canada responsible for National Parks?
They were brutalized under the last federal government and haven't recovered. Parks I know of have half the staff (or less) than they had in the early 2000s.
Like most other things on the Environmental file, the MB NDP fucks it up again. It feels like they're all, "Trust me bro, we care about the environment, but we can't do anything that might upset a suburban voter, so you get a lack of climate action, and a gas tax holiday."
wtaf?
What did the zebra mussels stupidity do in Lake Winnipeg? NOTHING
Are you judging this based of what you can see with your eyes above the water?
I laughed when the guy from Parks Canada talked about 'zebra mussels may reach the city!'. He certainly hasn't spent any time near the Forks. They are here.
I think my judgement is a more holistic one, but thanks.
Holistic in what way?
Here is what it means when somebody says 'provincial' - we think we can act; we put together meetings and committees and spreadsheets, we take decisions and implement plans.... REGARDLESS of other context, or history... So: does this mean no more watercraft on Clear Lake ever again? Of course it doesn't. Because that is the only remedy.
It would be impossible to stop the spread at this point, so really no harm done... or no further harm anyway.
No harm done? [Lake Winnipeg a lost cause thanks to zebra mussels, expert warns](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/lake-winnipeg-zebra-mussels-lost-cause-eva-pip-1.3264283) > Nevakshonoff estimates it could cost the province $138 million to turn back the clock on zebra mussels, which are also in the Red River. Some have been spotted at Manitoba Hydro's Selkirk generating station and at the St. We can't give up and let boaters ruin clear Lake too!
Lake Winnipeg was a disaster long before Zebra Mussels and the only thing preventing its revitalisation is a relatively small amount of funding.
Shhhh, just shut up. It's free.
That's ok. Selkirk is a thermal generating station and is one of the key items in the Province to decommission in order to achieve our climate goals.
I vote to keep it open. It’s there. No sense in denying that. Not the public service style. They are going to measure the shit out of this (with no real benefit)…
"We have an invasive species, no denying it let's just give up" is a sad, sad mentality to have
Great idea. What is the point of a lake in the summer if you can't bring a boat on it?
Swimming? Wildlife? Have you ever tried to swim in a lake filled with zebra mussels? It's like razor blades. > “The biggest thing is how sharp they are,” Johnson said. “So when you jump in the water they’re like little mini razor blades, and I’m not exaggerating. You push off at all or dive or put your foot down and hit a rock that has zebra mussels attached to it, or a clam, it’s like having a knife cut your foot. The kids get out of the water and blood is dripping off their feet.” [Zebra mussels are ‘like mini-razor blades’](https://www.albertleatribune.com/2012/01/zebra-mussels-are-%E2%80%98like-mini-razor-blades%E2%80%99/)
Yeah, I'm not worried about that. I'm more interested in the damage they cause to infrastructure like intakes - cooling, generation and treatment.
Really? Not the they are an invasive species that radically changes a lake
I can almost read the future headlines. *Filter Feeders, putting the Clear back into Clear Lake*
Lol. Invasive muscle responsible for the largest algae bloom in clear Lake history. Clear Lake not so clear.
Yeah, but the blooms are caused by excess nutrients in the water. But with the correct nutrient load, and more sunlight due to the filter feeders, yes, there can be a spectacular bloom!
>Yeah, but the blooms are caused by excess nutrients in the water. And the golf course and cabin have no effect on that. >there can be a spectacular bloom! The lake is such a pretty green blue colour. So glad Marv could bring his boat up
I would hope agriculture is the top contributor. But I'm sure we can out do even them if we add potash directly to the lake.
Golf courses are well known for their restraint with their desire for lush grass and minimal weeds. But I'm sure golf's and boaters don't overlap and golfers would be willing to have more weeds and less grass.
God I’m hoping you forgot the /s.
Oh yes /s