Many lakes near Edmonton are under a blue-green algae advisory
If you’re heading to a nearby lake this August long weekend, make sure to check for blue-green algae advisories. Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued several advisories for lakes near Edmonton.
Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, has been spotted in the following lakes, according to AHS:
- Astotin Lake
- Half Moon Lake
- Isle Lake
- Lac La Nonne
- Lessard Lake
- Matchayaw (Devil’s) Lake
- Nakamun Lake
- Pigeon Lake
- Pine Lake
- Shiningbank Lake
- Skeleton Lake
AHS is advising residents and visitors to take the following precautions around affected lakes:
- Avoid contact with visible algae blooms. If you do come into contact, rinse with tap water as soon as possible.
- Don’t swim or wade, and keep pets out of the water in areas where blooms are present.
- Limit eating whole fish or trimmings, as toxins can accumulate in the liver. Fillets are considered safe. Also, avoid feeding pets whole fish or fish trimmings from these lakes.
- Don’t use contaminated lake water to water edible plants, especially those with parts exposed to the soil (like lettuce, tomatoes, or cabbage).
- Never drink or cook with untreated lake water — even if no advisory is in place.
Blue-green algae can look like scum, fuzz, or grass clippings on the surface of the water. It may be blue-green, brown, greenish-brown, or even pinkish-red, and it often smells grassy or musty.
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Cyanobacteria is naturally occurring and tends to become visible during calm weather conditions.
Anyone who comes into contact with visible blooms or ingests contaminated water may develop symptoms such as skin irritation, rashes, sore throat, red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Symptoms usually appear within one to three hours and clear up in a day or two. Children may be more affected, but the health risks apply to everyone.
Exposure can be fatal for pets.
Boiling the water won’t remove the toxins, so alternative drinking water sources should be provided for both pets and livestock while advisories are in effect.
Because wind and weather can cause blooms to drift, advisories remain in place until further notice, according to AHS.
If there’s no visible bloom in a particular area of the lake, that area can still be used for recreational activities, even while the advisory is active.