Campers are welcome back to a popular recreational spot in Riding Mountain National Park that had been closed over fears of zebra mussel infestation.

Parks Canada cut off public access to Whirlpool Lake and campground in December 2017 after DNA evidence of zebra mussels was found in water samples.

On Tuesday Parks Canada said both the lake and campground will re-open this summer after tests and monitoring done over the last year found no evidence of the presence of zebra mussels.

The area had been re-opened for winter use only in January.

Parks Canada asks visitors to the park this summer to make sure all watercraft – including canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and flotation devices – are inspected through Park Canada’s mandatory inspection service before entering any of the national park’s waters.

Zebra mussels were first detected in Manitoba in Lake Winnipeg in 2013 and by 2015, they were also found in the Red River and Cedar Lake.

The invasive species take over the waterways once they are introduced. They reproduce at a rapid rate and eventually millions carpet boats, rocks and lake bottoms.

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