BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) - State wildlife officials say adult zebra mussels have been found in Cross Lake and Lower Hay Lake - two of the 14 lakes in the Whitefish chain in central Minnesota.

A Brainerd Dispatch report says that state Department of Natural Resources is reminding boaters and property owners to take precautions to avoid spreading the invasive species.

Zebra mussels are an invasive mollusk that arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1980s, apparently by hitching a ride on ocean-going ships.

DNR spokesman Mike Duval says the discovery of zebra mussels in the two lakes doesn't mean they're in all the lakes in the chain. That means proper precautions could still make a difference.

Local property owners are providing inspectors to check watercraft at public and private access points to the lakes.

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