Motorized watercraft banned on Clear Lake in 'disappointing journey' to fight zebra mussels

Parks Canada is banning the use of motorized watercraft on Clear Lake this year in what it hopes will be an attempt to curtail the spread of zebra mussels.

While the ban is causing turmoil for businesses, a First Nation in the area sees it as a sign of hope in a "disappointing journey" to fight the invasive species.

The federal agency announced in a Friday bulletin it had made the "difficult decision" to impose the restriction for a second time since last year "to protect the health of Clear Lake" after zebra mussels were first detected in the lake in November 2023.

Under the restriction, non-motorized watercraft — including kayaks, canoes and inflatables — can still operate in Riding Mountain National Park under certain conditions, which include an annual permit, limitations on which bodies of water are used, an inspection and a cleaning protocol.

"We're happy with Parks Canada's decision," said James Plewak, former chief of the Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation, which borders the northwest corner of the lake. 

Plewak, who is also a senior official with a coalition of seven First Nations with interests in Riding Mountain National Park, said it has been a "disappointing journey" since the invasive species was first discovered. 

Parks Canada tried to contain zebra mussels by setting a two-kilometre underwater curtain at Boat Cove near Wasagaming last summer — but it dislodged just days after installation was completed.

Months later, hundreds of live juvenile zebra mussels were found attached to docks and other structures near the east end of Clear Lake, indicating their spread was not isolated to the area where they had been originally found. 

Earlier this year Park Canada said the full extent of where the zebra mussels have spread is yet unknown, but eradicating them would require for the entire population to be identified, isolated and contained from the rest of the lake. 

Plewak is concerned that if zebra mussels migrate to shallower parts of the lake, they might distribute faster and trickle into outlets that flow into the Little Saskatchewan River and downstream through several communities. 

"The decision is based upon erring on the side of caution," he said. 

While Parks Canada has the jurisdiction to issue bans on Clear Lake, First Nations have a treaty right over Riding Mountain National Park, Plewak said. 

"We have a different level of responsibility towards the lake," he said. "Parks Canada made a responsible decision there and the First Nation is in support of it."

Ban stands to 'ruin' business 

Kelsey Connor, who has been operating the Clear Lake Marina and the Martese tour boat out of Wasagaming in Riding Mountain National Park since 2015, said Parks Canada's decision is putting into question whether or not his business will cease to exist. 

"At the moment … I think that our business is ruined," he told CBC.

The ban came as a surprise to Connor. He said Parks Canada had indicated to him this summer it would be "business as usual" on the lake, so the marina had already hired staff for the upcoming months in hopes of bouncing back from last year's restrictions.

Connor learned of the decision an hour before the federal agency made it public on Friday, coming as a "complete shock" to him. 

"We trusted Parks Canada … and we felt obligated to hold up our end of the bargain and provide some services for visitors," he said. 

"We've only been positive contributors to the zebra mussel fight."

The watercraft operated by Connor's marina pose no risk of introducing invasive species, he said, arguing using it at the capacity his company does could help with the problem. 

"I don't know why this is happening … It's hard to believe that it's not permanent because we just can't operate a business like this."

Parks Canada said is taking on comprehensive research this year to determine "how motorized watercraft affect ecological, socioeconomic and cultural components of Clear Lake." 

But the federal agency said the approach it's taking is a balancing act between helping protect all water bodies in Riding Mountain National Park and ensuring lake users can resume the activities they missed last year, after similar bans on watercrafts were imposed.

Kyle Bazylo, member of the Clear Lake Cabin Owners' Association, said the government had a chance of halting the spread of zebra mussels when they were first discovered on the water, but "they dropped the ball from Day 1." 

Now there is little to no possibility of slowing it down, he said, and given how scattered zebra mussels are already on the lake, he thought Parks Canada should "admit defeat" and learn how to live with them. 

"I don't know why they're playing this game," he said. "The lack of guidance and management … is frustrating."

Bazylo said the watercraft ban is "a terrible decision" that he believes could also affect property values if people's worries lead them to sell off their cottages. 

"Money [was] wasted by poor decision-making, and there's no accountability, and there should be some kind of accountability here," he said.