Key takeaways:
- With the summer warmth here, Alberta’s lakes bloomed with blue-green algae.
- Unfortunately for keen campers and swimmers, the blossoms — which occur yearly — can close down lakes.
As superb as Alberta summers can be, they come with their issues, like blue-green algae.
Unfortunately for keen campers and swimmers, the blooms — which occur yearly — can effectively close down lakes.
So, what precisely are blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae or cyanobacteria develop in slow-moving, shallow waters and is usually the effect of a surplus of nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients are necessary for plant growth, but giant bacteria blooms are caused mainly by human activity like agriculture or residential growth.
The algae produce poisons that can negatively impact lake wildlife, pets, and humans.
“There is a chance to be made that if we did a better job of managing lakes, not just will we get better water safety in terms of sources of drinking water, we would also receive better financial benefits in terms of recreational activity,” stated Raymond Menard, with Algae Control Canada.
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Blooms usually appear during hot summer months and early fall.
Why are Alberta lakes more inclined to Algae blooms?
Alberta’s lakes are shallow and affluent in nutrients, making them a ripe breeding ground for blue-green algae.
So, the yearly algae blooms are not uncommon. And, algae, to an area, is always anticipated.
As far as answers go, some ways to fight blue-green algae are waste management, land-use activity, or chemical treatment. Algaecide can be used to decrease or destroy algae for a season.
The lake at Edmonton’s Hawrelak Park has to be treated for blue-green algae each year. The city uses copper-based products for the clean-up because it destroys algae immediately.
The care of Moose Lake falls under the jurisdiction of the nearest town, Bonnyville. Lake jurisdiction is random, with caretaking falling between cities, the region, and the federal government.
Source – CBC New
