Whirlpool Lake to open temporarily
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/01/2019 (2498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Parks Canada will temporarily open Riding Mountain National Park’s Whirlpool Lake this winter, after last year’s tests came back negative for zebra mussels.
The road to Whirlpool Lake will remain closed to motor vehicles and is considered a wilderness trail accessible for hiking, snowshoeing, fat biking and cross-country skiing.
In December 2017, Parks Canada announced that water samples taken from Whirlpool Lake, located east of Clear Lake, came back positive for zebra mussel environmental DNA, or eDNA, which are small genetic traces left behind by aquatic organisms.
Although not considered definitive proof that zebra mussels are present, the results prompted the closure of both the lake and campground as a precaution.
“Parks Canada has monitored the lake diligently over the last year and all the test results over that period have come back negative for the presence of zebra mussels,” a media release from Parks Canada said.
“As a result, Parks Canada has deemed the area safe for public use and has re-opened it to visitors for winter use only. At this time, no decision has been made as to whether it will remain open for spring and summer of 2019.”
While Whirlpool Lake will be open throughout the winter, ice fishing remains prohibited, according to the park’s fishing regulations. Parking will be available off Highway 19, on the road to Whirlpool Lake.
Anyone planning to camp at the lake during the winter is asked to register with Parks Canada by calling 204-848-7275.
“Parks Canada is committed to the protection of healthy aquatic ecosystems in Canada’s national parks and will continue to monitor and test Whirlpool Lake to reduce the risk of aquatic invasive species in Riding Mountain National Park,” the media release said.
Measuring only a few centimetres in length, zebra mussels are named for the striped pattern on their shell and are native to eastern Europe and western Asia.
The first confirmed presence of zebra mussels in Manitoba was recorded at Lake Winnipeg in 2013, followed by the Red River and Cedar Lake in 2015.
Female zebra mussels can produce upwards of a million eggs a year, attaching themselves to hard surfaces, including the hulls of watercraft, motors and docks.
All watercraft entering Riding Mountain require an inspection and decontamination with hot water if they have previously been in a high-risk area.
» The Brandon Sun