Alberta Health Services (AHS) reports that cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) have been identified in the waters of Thunder Lake, in Barrhead County.
Visitors and residents who live near the shores are asked to take the following precautions:
- Do not swim or wade in any areas where cyanobacterial blooms are visible.
- Avoid all contact with cyanobacterial blooms in the water and on shore. Wash with clean tap water as soon as possible if contact occurs.
- Do not drink or cook with water from this lake.
- Do not eat whole fish or fish trimmings from this lake, as fish may store toxins in their liver. Fish fillets contain fewer toxins and are reportedly safer to eat.
- Keep pets away from the water. Do not allow pets to swim in areas where cyanobacterial blooms are visible or to contact blooms in the water or on the shore.
- Do not feed whole fish or fish trimmings from this lake to your pets.
Users are also reminded to never drink or cook with untreated water directly from any body of water, including Thunder Lake. Additionally, AHS notes that boiling this water will not remove the toxins produced by blue-green algae. This also applies to pets and livestock, who should be provided an alternate water source while the advisory is active.
AHS says cyanobacterial blooms can be blue-green, greenish-brown, brown, pink and/or red, and can look like scum, streaks, grass clippings, fuzz balls, paint or pea soup. They often smell musty or grassy, and are more common during warm weather.
Symptoms of coming in contact or ingesting these blooms can include: skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea. Symptoms can appear within one to three hours and resolve in one to two days, officials say. Symptoms in children are also often more pronounced, and exposure may be fatal to pets.
The waters where blooms are not visible can still be used for recreational purposes, AHS advises.
