Alberta Health Services has issued a blue-green algae alert for areas of Lac la Biche Lake. The August 24 advisory comes almost a month after similar advisories issued in the last two years for Lac La Biche's namesake waterbody. In 2018, the advisory was followed by a second for high levels of fecal coliforms.
This year's advisory follows several days of growing concerns from area residents about smells and colours in several areas of the lake.
The AHS advisory cautions residents and visitors to take precautions in and around the lake.
- Avoid all contact with blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) 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 blue-green algae (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. (People can safely consume fish fillets from this lake).
Visitors and residents are reminded to never drink or cook with untreated water directly from any recreational body of water, including Lac La Biche Lake, at any time. Boiling of this water will not remove the toxins produced by blue-green algae. An alternate source of drinking water should also be provided for pets and livestock, while this advisory is active.
Blue-green algae is naturally occurring, and often becomes visible when weather conditions are calm. Appearing like scum, grass clippings, fuzz or globs on the surface of water, blue-green algae can be blue-green, greenish-brown, brown, and/or pinkish-red, and often smell musty or grassy.
People who come in contact with visible blue-green algae or who ingest water containing blue-green algae may experience skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea. Symptoms usually appear within one to three hours and resolve in one to two days. Symptoms in children are often more pronounced; however, all humans are at risk of these symptoms.
Exposure to the blue-green algae may be fatal to pets.
Weather and wind conditions can cause algae blooms to move from one location in the lake to another. As such, this advisory will remain in effect for Lac La Biche Lake, until further notice.
Areas of Lac La Biche Lake in which the blue-green algae bloom is NOT visible can still be used for recreational purposes, even while this blue-green algae Health Advisory is in place.
