NEWSLETTER

JUNE 2023

Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring

Summer has arrived across Saskatchewan, which means our lakes and rivers will be bustling with recreation – boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing…. This also means that the threat of invasive quagga and zebra mussels has arrived. SAW has partnered with the Saskatchewan Fish and Wildlife Development Fund and the Water Security Agency to monitor over 40 lakes across Saskatchewan for invasive mussels. 

Both zebra and quagga mussels are native to southeastern Europe and it is believed that they arrived in North America through the Great Lakes in the ballast water of large ships sometime in the late 1980s, with zebra mussels arriving in North America first. Since their introduction to the eastern part of North America, both species have been moving east, and they are considered invasive in all of Canada. As of 2020, Manitoba is the furthest west in Canada that zebra mussels have been found. 

Zebra and quagga mussels are freshwater species, and they can also survive out of water for up to 18 days* when there is high humidity. At various stages of life, both types of mussels can range in size from microscopic to the size of a fingernail. When the mussels invade a body of water, they voraciously feed on phytoplankton and zooplankton, removing an important food source for native species. They also attach to and incapacitate native muscles. Large colonies can take over important habitat for spawning fish, beaches, clog water intake lines and can reduce water quality. Once established in a body of water, they are nearly impossible to get rid of. 

Early detection is a vital component in preventing the spread of these invasive mussel species. Members of the SAW team will be collecting samples this summer to test for the presence of veligers. Veligers are the free-swimming larval form of mussels and are not visible to the naked eye. Preventing the spread of zebra and quagga mussels also comes from carefully cleaning and drying all water recreation equipment – including fishing line, nets, buckets, and even snorkeling gear. Cleaning, draining, drying your boat, trailer and all gear is essential to keeping Saskatchewan waters mussel-free. The Ministry of Environment is working hard to prevent invasive mussels from entering Saskatchewan waters. “Pull the Plug” is a campaign, that follows the law of removing the drain plug while transporting watercraft. For more information, visit their website.

Adult Zebra Mussels –

Up to 4 cm in length

Triangular shaped

Lays flat

Shell is white or cream with jagged brown or black stripes.

Have byssal threads (ropes) on hinge edge of shell for attaching to solid objects.

Adult Quagga Mussels –

Up to 4cm in length

Triangular shaped

Does not lay flat

Shell is light tan with white, black, cream or white bands.

Have byssal threads (ropes) on hinge edge of shell for attaching to solid objects.

NOTE: native mussels do not have the byssal threads

Food forests are becoming a common way for communities and gardeners to build resilience to climate change. Weather patterns are changing, excessive moisture or dry cycles make it difficult to grow annual crops and gardens. The food forest concept is the planting of diverse edible plants that mimic a natural ecosystem composed of a set of layers, each with its own unique role. These layers of growth allow the food forest or garden to replenish itself to prevent the need for replanting seeds. The food forest is self-sustaining and provides constant food throughout the season, with minimal input.

Advantages of a food forest or garden are not limited to food production. A food forest is also beneficial in aiding in being resilient to climate change. Food forests are strategically planted to be self-sufficient and to work alongside nature to repel insects, regenerate growth without chemicals, attract pollinators, naturally refresh soil and to maximize harvest. Being able to grow a sustainable food forest helps with food production, decreasing pressure elsewhere. For the most part, food forests use native plants and other plants that are adapted for local climate, ensuring water and other input costs are not needed. As we know, plants and trees clean the air, taking carbon dioxide, a type of greenhouse gas, out of the atmosphere and store it as carbon in the soil.

The Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds has partnered with the Yorkton Tribal Council and Cote First Nation to create a food forest and demonstration garden. Not only will the forest provide different food sources traditionally used by Indigenous communities but will also include traditional medicinal plants. This project, graciously funded by Indigenous Services Canada’s Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program for First Nation Communities South of 60°N, will be self-sustaining, feeding generations of families and re-establishing food sovereignty. The project also includes a demonstration garden and will support the transfer of traditional knowledge and culture of the Indigenous people to other communities.

Food forests and gardens such as these help communities connect with nature, different cultures and people together. They are filled with advantages and ways to improve our lives and our resilience to climate change.

For more information on this project or other SAW project and programming initiatives, please visit our website at www.saskwatersheds.ca

Head Office

817 High St. W

Moose Jaw

Northwest District Office

834 #5 56th St. E

Saskatoon

Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds

Mailing Address

Box 1177, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 4P9

Head Office Location 

817 High St W, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 6L7

www.saskwatersheds.ca