 The Minnesota DNR has confirmed that zebra mussels have been found in Lake Bemidji. Experts say we won't see an immediate change to the lake but over time the ecology of the water will be affected. There are many theories as to how the lake became infected but experts say there's no way to know for sure. One of the most likely scenarios is they may have been transferred from Cass Lake due to its close proximity to Lake Bemidji. The DNR confirmed the zebra mussels last Friday but experts say they may have been in the water much longer. We don't know for sure how it became infested so and from the size and quantity of the zebra mussels that we saw on Friday and the ones that I've seen recently on Lake Bemidji, my personal guess is that it's probably been infested for about three years. According to Ann Spock over the span of three to five years the water in Lake Bemidji will become clearer and vegetation will grow deeper into the lake. Eventually the shores will be covered in zebra mussels so visitors will have to wear shoes. Immediate effects include new laws regarding the lake. Since the water is designated infested now some other laws changed for bait harvesting water gathering water from Lake Bemidji now you need a permit for it because it is infested water body so that kind of stuff changes but for the day use border and it doesn't really change much just that people need to be aware of it and make sure they do the right thing. The DNR says it's extremely important now to make sure you're not transporting water by cleaning draining and drying all boats and equipment. Other infested lakes include Marquette Lake, Car Lake, Lake Irving and Stump Lake. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.