MONCTON, N.B. – Blue-green algae bloom has been spotted in the Irishtown Nature Park reservoir and researchers are warning people of the dangers associated with the green slime.
The city of Moncton cautioned people Tuesday that the algae is beginning to be visible in the park, but for now the water continues to be open for recreation at this time.
Algal blooms have been a problem in the park for several years. Some blooms release toxins which can pose a health risk for people and their pets.
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“I find it is a little surprising that something you can barely see until it blooms can potentially cause such a big problem depending on the species whether they release their toxins or not,” said Roxanne MacKinnon, a water quality technician with the city of Moncton.
The problem hasn’t only occurred at the reservoir. Algal blooms have been found in many bodies of water across the province.
“There’s algal blooms in the air so it’s everywhere, its not an invasive type of thing but it does happen in this type of water where it’s quite stagnant,” said Jennifer Dingman, a water quality specialist.
The research team in Moncton has been taking water samples at the reservoir to stay ahead of the blooms.
“Sediment has formed in the bottom of the lake, and that’s a lot of nutrients, so the nutrients cause algal blooms because the algae need the nutrients to live,” Dingman said. “We’ve added some plants we know will soak up a lot of nutrients.”
The city says weekly updates will be added to the website as conditions change, which can happen very fast with water temperatures over 20 degrees.
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