Changes to the AIS Program - Questions and Answers

The boating season for trailered boats will open Thursday, June 1, 2023. No trailered boats will be permitted to launch prior to that date.

• This is less than two weeks later than normal. This delay will permit RMNP to implement enhanced measures to protect against the threat posed by Zebra Mussels and other aquatic invasive species.
• The Martese and rental boats at the Clear Lake Marina will be inspected and permitted to operate before June 1, 2023, if they wish to do so.

To receive a permit, trailered vessels MUST:

• NOT have been in any other water body in 2023;
• PASS an initial inspection before June 15, 2023.

Boats that meet the requirements will have a tag installed that attaches the boat to their trailer. This tag assures park staff that the vessel has not been in another water body and poses no risk of bringing aquatic invasive species with it. If this tag is removed, cut, or tampered with, the boat will not be allowed to launch in Clear Lake for the remainder of the 2023 season.

Upon exiting Clear Lake, the operator will report to the inspection station to have a new wire attached to the boat and trailer. This will facilitate an easy subsequent launch if the cable is intact.

A cut-off date of June 15, 2023 will be in place, after which new seasonal permits for trailered boats on Clear Lake will not be issued. After that date, it is not possible to ensure that boats have not been in other lakes.

Operators of trailered boats which are used exclusively on Clear Lake are not required to take the Aquatic Invasive Species training as in past years. This course will be optional for them.

Launching will be permitted at the Boat Cove launch between the hours of 06:00 and 24:00, seven days per week.

Boat Cove is the only launch point that will be available for Clear Lake.

The positive eDNA test for zebra mussels is a warning that prompts us to take additional precautions to try to prevent the arrival of zebra mussels. Parks Canada understands the long-term consequences of a zebra mussel invasion could have a significant impact for many stakeholders. We have heard clearly from most businesses, organizations, and other stakeholders in the area that they are concerned about the long-term health of the lake, and that protection from aquatic invasive species is the priority. This is precisely why Parks Canada is taking measures to continue to protect the ecological integrity of the lake which will also ensure its’ continued health for future generations.

• Zebra mussels have expanded their range in Manitoba and are now closer to RMNP. We know that several boats that were launched in RMNP in 2022 had come from lakes that were infested with zebra mussels and some even had adult mussels on them. We have also detected eDNA evidence at Boat Cove, so we can say with certainty that the risk level is now higher than in the past.
• We have a responsibility to protect RMNP from zebra mussels not only to protect the integrity of the Clear Lake ecosystem but also to protect the recreational, tourism and aesthetic values that Clear Lake provides to us all. Further, because Clear Lake is at the headwaters of the Little Saskatchewan River watershed, zebra mussels represent a real concern for downstream communities like KOFN, Minnedosa, Rapid City, Rivers, Brandon, and Portage la Prairie. Drinking water for 100,000 people as well as water for industry and agriculture and other recreational lakes could be negatively impacted by zebra mussels.

Parks Canada recognizes the rights of the Anishinaabe people to use their traditional territory. The people of the Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation hold rights to harvest fish from Clear Lake. The changes to the 2023 program do not impede those rights.

Parks Canada is working to ensure healthy habitat in Clear Lake for fish species which has direct benefits to the harvesting rights of our partners.

Follow our social media and webpages. Information will be updated as soon as available in these areas.

Inspection Hours 2023

Wasagaming Boat Cove Inspection Station

Boat Launch & Tagging:

• Mon & Tue: 10:30 am - 6:00 pm
• Wed & Thurs: 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
• Fri - Sun: 10:30 am - 8:00 pm

Inspections:

• Fri - Tue: 10:30 am - 6:00 pm
• Closed: Wed & Thu

Note: After June 15, no trailered watercraft/vessels will be inspected or tagged. Trailered watercraft/vessels without a tag will not be permitted to launch on Clear Lake.

Parks Canada is committed to the long-term health of Clear Lake. Changes to be implemented this year are interim measures. Any permanent changes to the Aquatic Invasive Species program will be subject to a further consultation process.

Any watercraft that requires a trailer for transportation ex. Pontoon boats, wake boats, sailboats, or fishing boats.

Trailered boats are more difficult to drain and have more places for AIS to hide. Self-propelled watercraft like canoes and kayaks are estimated to pose one-tenth the risk of spreading AIS compared to wind-powered or motorized boats.

Zebra mussels become active as the water temperature increases and begin reproducing in late spring. By tagging trailered watercraft before June 15, 2023, we can ensure that the risk of AIS transfer is very low.

Boats that cannot meet the requirements by the deadline will not be able to launch in Clear Lake in 2023.

If you choose to remove your trailer tag at any point that vessel will no longer have access to Clear Lake for the 2023 season.

Parks Canada staff will attach a wire tag to your trailer and vessel to ensure that the vessel only enters Clear Lake. Attaching and removing tags will not damage your trailer or vessel.

There is no cost to visitors for inspections, decontaminations, or participation in trailered vessel tagging.

• Self-propelled watercraft must have a permit for every launch at any lake in RMNP. Self-propelled watercraft operators must report to the inspection station at the Boat Cove to have their craft inspected and receive a permit.
• Self-propelled watercraft operators may take the seasonal Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention which will be offered again in 2023 as in previous years. Upon successful completion of this training, a self-propelled watercraft operator may receive a seasonal permit and seasonal sticker which enables them to bypass the inspection when they wish to launch their boat. Course offerings will be communicated asap.

RMNP is not anti-motorboat. We recognize that motorboat operators care about Clear Lake and have a long history of responsible use and stewardship in Clear Lake. Unfortunately, trailered boats have been the main cause of zebra mussels range expansion in North America since they were first introduced into the Great Lakes in the 1980s. We recognize that most operators of trailered boats support and comply with Clean/Dry/Drain protocols, but unfortunately, some do not. This plan has been developed so that we can still provide motorboating to operators who stay in Clear Lake. Unfortunately given the increased risk of zebra mussel infestation, RMNP has had to exclude motorboats that come from other lakes.

• Trailered motorboats are much more difficult to inspect or drain and dry completely. Some contain compartments that are impossible to dry or decontaminate.

We urge operators to be aware of weather conditions, particularly on those hot mid-summer afternoons when thunderstorms often occur, and to leave the lake early to avoid potential storms.

• Hours of operation at Boat Cove have been increased
• Boaters need to be aware
• Will have personnel on-site to attach tags late

• Increased hours of operation
• Tagging system will eliminate the need for inspections/decontaminations of trailered boats
• Always interested in suggestions

• They are both headwaters and can impact downstream communities
• Can’t manage inspection stations at multiple sites
• Trailered boat use is low

No. Unlike provincial agencies which are dealing with millions of lakes and must therefore rely on legislation and compliance, RMNP is in the fortunate situation of being able to control access and run an inspection station. This is particularly important because RMNP is at the headwaters of several watersheds. While it remains possible that zebra mussels could enter park waters, we believe we can prevent it with help from an educated and supportive public.

RMNP will be offering many ways for boats to be inspected and tagged prior to the season, including pre-season tagging sessions at Wasagaming and possibly elsewhere depending on demand. RMNP will also, if requested by the owner (via a commercial storage operator) visit storage locations and tag boats there if demand is sufficient. It will be the operator’s responsibility to contact their storage operator who can then contact RMNP to arrange a tagging session