Friday, March 29, 2024

Blue-green algae bloom at Prior Lake prompts CRD advisory

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What’s that blue-green sheen atop Prior Lake?

According to the Capital Regional District (CRD), it’s an algae bloom, and it’s prompting a warning for swimmers to keep away due to the potentially severe health issues it promotes.

The CRD issued an advisory on Thursday, May 26th, calling the algae “known toxin producers” that may prompt several symptoms if ingested, including headaches or abdominal pain in humans and lethal liver damage in dogs.

“Park visitors are advised to avoid swimming at Prior Lake and to keep animals on a leash to prevent them from drinking or swimming in the lake until the advisory has been lifted,” stated the advisory.

Prior Lake is located along View Royal’s Highland Road within Thetis Lake Regional Park.

The CRD says algae blooms are unpredictable, may occur at any time, and usually appear as surface scum, forming in warm, shallow, slow-moving water, where light and nutrients are available.

While a bloom can go unseen, its toxins can still be present in water, according to the advisory.

For updates on the Prior Lake algae bloom status, people are encouraged to visit the CRD’s alert page for more details.

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