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The province says Parks Canada is considering closing Clear Lake to boating this year because of zebra mussels.

Jamie Moses, the province’s natural resources minister, says the potential closure of the popular lake in Riding Mountain National Park, would harm tourism, the economy, and area residents.

Moses says he wants the federal government to consult people more before making a final decision.

Parks Canada says live zebra mussels were found in the lake last November, and an infestation could cause irreversible ecological damage to the lake and downstream bodies of water.

They add testing of the lake over the winter did not turn up any zebra mussel environmental DNA, but a decision has not yet been made about lake use this summer.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives called on the province to increase monitoring by, among other measures, adding more boat inspection stations and conducting more testing of waterways downstream.