Cyanobacteria bloom at the shore of a lake. Source: Environmental Public Health, Alberta Health Services
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is warning visitors to a couple of lakes surrounding Edmonton.
Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, has been seen in the waters of Astotin Lake in Elk Island National Park and in Lessard Lake in Lac Ste. Anne County.
Visitors to these lake are advised to take the following precautions:
- Avoid all contact with cyanobacterial blooms. If contact occurs, wash with tap water as soon as possible.
- Do not swim or wade or allow your pets to swim or wade in any areas where cyanobacteria is visible.
- Do not feed whole fish or fish trimmings from this lake to your pets.
- Consider limiting human consumption of whole fish and fish trimmings from this lake, as it is known that fish may store toxins in their liver.
AHS said people can still safely consume fish fillets from this lake and that the waters of Lessard and Astotin Lake in which the cyanobacterial bloom is NOT visible can still be used for recreational purposes, even while the health advisory is in place.
As always, visitors and residents are reminded to never drink or cook with untreated water directly from any recreational body of water at any time.
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