By CHAT News Today

Avoid all contact

AHS issues blue-green algae advisory for Reesor Lake

Aug 13, 2020 | 4:40 PM

Alberta Health Services says a blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) bloom has been identified in areas of Reesor Lake, located in Cypress Hills Provincial Park, 13 kilometres southeast of Elkwater.

Residents living near the shores of this lake, as well as visitors to this lake, are advised to take the following precautions:

• 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).

As always, visitors and residents are reminded to never drink or cook with untreated water directly from any recreational body of water, including Reesor 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.

In a release, AHS says skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea may be experienced by people who come in contact with blue-green algae. Symptoms usually appear within one to three hours and resolve in one to two days. Symptoms in children are often more pronounced, but all humans are at risk of these symptoms. Exposure to the blue-green algae may be fatal to pets.

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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.

The advisory for Reesor Lake will remain in effect until further notice, as weather and wind conditions can cause algae blooms to move from one location in the lake to another.

The AHS release adds that areas of Reesor Lake in which the blue-green algae bloom is not visible can still be used for recreational purposes, even while this blue-green algae advisory is in place.

If you suspect a problem related to blue-green algae or if you require further information on health concerns and blue-green algae, please call Health Link at 811. Additional information is also available online, at the AHS website.