Blue-green algae advisory issued for waters of Lac Ste. Anne

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued a cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) advisory for the waters of Lac Ste. Anne, to be in effect until further notice.

Visitors 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. (People can safely consume fish fillets from this lake).

As always, AHS reminds Albertans to never drink or cook with untreated water directly from any recreational body of water, including Lac Ste. Anne, at any time. An alternate drinking source should be provided for pets and livestock as well, while the advisory is in effect.

Cyanobacteria is naturally occurring and often becomes visible when weather conditions are calm. It can look like scum, grass clippings, fuzz, or globs on the surface of water, and can be blue-green, greenish-brown, brown, and/or pinkish-red, and often smells musty or grassy.

Those who come in contact with visible cyanobacteria, or who ingest water containing it, may experience skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore and red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea. AHS says symptoms tend to appear within one to three hours and resolve in one to two days.

Symptoms may be more pronounced in children, however all humans are at risk of experiencing symptoms. Exposure to this bacteria can also be fatal to pets.

As weather and wind conditions can cause algae blooms to move around the lake, officials say the advisory will remain in effect until further notice.

AHS notes that portions of Lac Ste. Anne where cyanobacteria blooms are not visible may still be used for recreational purposes, even while the advisory is in place.

More information is available online or through 811.