Riding Mountain National Park AID Update
Hello CLCA members, please see the latest update from Tom Sheldon Superintendent, Riding Mountain Field Unit – Parks Canada on AIS monitoring in Clear Lake and throughout Riding Mountain National Park. It also provides an overview of next steps toward a decision on watercraft use for 2026.
Terry Botterill
President Clear Lake Cabin Association
From Tom:
I am reaching out to share an update on aquatic invasive species (AIS) monitoring in Riding Mountain National Park and outline the next steps toward a decision on watercraft management for 2026.
This year, we detected the first veliger (zebra mussel larvae) in Clear Lake, along with two adult zebra mussels and approximately 15 juveniles.
Elsewhere in Riding Mountain National Park, there has been no detection of zebra mussels or any other AIS in outlying lakes in the park, such as Lake Katherine, Grayling Lake, Moon Lake, Lake Audy, Whirlpool Lake, Bob Hill Lake, or Deep Lake. This is a testament to the efforts of many, including the public.
Additional details, including a map and table of zebra mussel monitoring results for 2025, are available on our website:
https://parks.canada.ca/faq-ais
We continue to work closely with Manitoba’s AIS team to prevent zebra mussels from spreading beyond the park, and internally to prevent the spread to outlying lakes. This includes boat inspections, decontamination, and monitoring of Wasamin Creek. This year alone, our team inspected 7,561 non-motorized watercraft and decontaminated over 800 before they entered the water.
When considering decisions about potential watercraft use on Clear Lake and other lakes in Riding Mountain National Park for the 2026 season, among other items, we will consider:
Monitoring results from this and previous years
A third-party review of the impacts of motorized watercraft on inland lakes
Feedback from phase 1 of the Riding Mountain National Park management planning process
Consultation with Section 35 rights holders and input from stakeholders
Parks Canada is targeting February 2026 for a decision.
