Thetis Lake has been added to the list of lakes unfit for use due to blue-green algae booms being found this fall.
The Capital Regional District (CRD) and Island Health work in collaboration to ensure the water at popular beaches used by both people and their pets is safe and free of dangerous toxins and bacterias.
The CRD did not specify which area or beach at Thetis Lake Regional Park they found the blue-green algae, but the alert they published to inform the public of the bloom advises that the whole lake should be avoided.
Blue-green algae produces a visible blue-green sheen which can be seen on the surface of the water as a scum; however, some blooms are harder to see than others.
“These algae are known toxin producers. Ingesting water containing these cyanotoxins may cause a range of symptoms, including headaches and abdominal pain in humans, and can lead to lethal liver damage in dogs,” said the CRD in their public alert.
“Blooms are unpredictable and may occur at any time.”
In addition to this latest blue-green algae bloom advisory, the CRD still has an active alert for two areas at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park due to algae blooms.
Both Hamsterly Beach and Eagle Beach have been found to be impacted by the dangerous algae.
