Prince Albert National Park promotes watercraft regulations to stop spread of invasive mussels

Saskatchewan officials are offering some tips to help keep the highly invasive aquatic species zebra mussels out of the province's lakes.

Prince Albert National Park is reminding visitors to inspect their watercraft for invasive mussels.

“We’re asking the public to do their part to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species,” said Sarah Mitchell, the park’s aquatic invasive species coordinator. “It’s a simple step that everyone can remember clean, drain, dry and certify.”

All watercraft entering Prince Albert National Park must go through a mandatory permitting program.

The watercraft certification permit was first introduced in 2025, but new this year is a mandatory certification sticker for all permanent watercraft, and new regulations, including one that requires all watercraft to pull any drain plugs present when traveling over land.

Watercraft that have been used outside Saskactchewan in the last 45 days are required to undergo inspection and decontamination.

“This is a self-certification system,” said Mitchell. “We’re really focusing on public education and spreading the message and asking folks to comply with our regulations.”

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Visitors can use inspection and decontamination stations at the park to clean their boats with water that’s hot enough to kill invasive mussel species.

The Ministry of Environment says invasive mussels pose a huge risk to Saskatchewan.

“The highest risk species for us here in Saskatchewan are invasive mussels,” said Jeri Geiger, team lead for the Ministry of Environment’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program.

“Zebra mussels and potentially golden mussels, really because they have the ability to drastically impact the environment, but also the economy because they can impact things like hydropower generation and infrastructure or anything that relies on surface water. So, they’ll clog intakes and really increase maintenance costs and operating costs.”

Parks Canada says the aquatic invasive species watercraft certification permits are free and mandatory. Through the Parks Canada Act, any watercraft that does not comply with this permitting system faces a fine of up to $25,000 fine.