The Manitoba government is sampling water in Cedar Lake after an initial round of testing revealed the presence of zebra mussels.

The tests found one larval zebra mussel, which is called a veliger. It was the first time the species was detected in the lake's waters.

The findings; which the province announced in a press release on Friday, suggest boats weren't cleaned properly before they were transported on land and used on Cedar Lake, north of Winnipegosis. Cedar Lake has no direct connection to a waterway where zebra mussels have previously been found.

Manitoba's response under the Coordinated Aquatic Monitoring Program (CAMP) includes inspecting docks, buoys, wharves, watercraft and the shoreline to determine the extent of the species' presence.