St Malo Lake drain halted

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/10/2024 (205 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province plugged the drain at the St Malo Lake reservoir after attempting to find a solution to its zebra mussel infestation discovered this past July.

Property owners were sent a letter warning them to secure any docks and watercraft not already removed for the season. Boaters were asked to stay off the lake last week. The campground was already closed for the season.

Outflow was increased from the St Malo dam, raising levels that stayed within the banks of the Rat River downstream.

Hundreds of comments filled the St. Malo Friends, Neighbours & Surrounding Area Facebook page with local residents surprised by the operation. The Carillon asked the province what was happening, and a provincial spokesperson gave out a press release on Oct. 18 that was also forwarded to the RM of De Salaberry to share with all residents online. By then, the decision to halt the lowering of water levels was already made.

The information given by the province said that steps were taken to test the dam infrastructure and determine if zebra mussel mitigation options were feasible. The provincial spokesperson wrote that the options are not feasible “due to environmental factors.”

St Malo Lake is not open to motorized boats, meaning the invasive zebra mussels likely spread from canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, beach toys or other water equipment.

The only way to prevent their spread is to wash everything after leaving the water.

Watercraft inspection stations are set up throughout Manitoba to help water users be compliant with aquatic invasive species requirements. Anyone transporting motorized or non-motorized watercraft over land must stop at all open watercraft inspection stations along their route.