Island Health and the CRD have issued a bacteria advisory for the Hamsterly Beach area of Elk Lake.
According to the authority, lake samples have shown “bacteriological counts exceeding acceptable guideline limits”.
Due to the bacteria, health officials highly recommend that people and pets avoid swimming in the water.
Beach Advisory Issued for Elk Lake – Water samples from Hamsterly Beach at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park show high levels of bacteria. It is not recommended for people or pets to enter the water. https://t.co/hb0mENGXP9 #crdalert
— CRD (@crd_bc) August 16, 2019
“As a precautionary measure, it is NOT recommended for people or pets to enter the water,” reads a warning by the CRD.
Warning signs will also be installed around the lake by Island Health until further samples determine that the water has returned to acceptable bacteriological counts.
Last week, Beaver Lake was closed to swimmers due to a bloom of blue-green algae in the water.
See also: Beaver Lake closed to swimming after algae bloom detected
The algae usually produces a visible blue-green sheen, which appears as ‘surface scum’. However, the toxins contained in the algae can still be present in the water even if it is not visible to the naked eye.
Further information about both health warnings can be found online here.
