SHOREWOOD — Minnesota officials are working to stop a lake-wide infestation of zebra mussels recently found in Christmas Lake near Lake Minnetonka.

The state Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District discovered the invasive species in the lake Saturday. District and state employees only found the mussels in the area around the public water access.

The district, DNR and city of Sherwood are working on a rapid response because the infestation seems to have been detected early.

Zebra mussels crowd out native mussels and compete with other animals for food. The DNR announced last month it would ramp up enforcement because too many boaters were breaking state laws intended to make it harder for invasive species to spread in lakes and rivers.