A blue-green algae bloom has been found in Heritage Lake near Morinville, Alta.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued an advisory about the lake on Thursday and said that residents and visitors should avoid all contact with the algae blooms, and avoid swimming or wading where blooms are visible.
It’s also recommended to keep pets out of the water. AHS said it’s also dangerous to feed whole fish or fish trimmings from the lake to pets.
Humans can eat fish fillets from the lake, but shouldn’t eat whole fish as fish may store toxins in their liver.
Visitors and residents should not drink or cook with water directly from this lake, even after boiling. AHS says that will not remove the toxins from the water. Pets and livestock should also avoid water from the lake until the advisory is lifted.
Parts of the lake where blue-green algae is not visible can still be used for recreational purposes.
Anyone who comes in contact with green-blue algae may experience skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and/or vomiting and/or diarrhea. It takes one to three hours for symptoms to develop, and they usually last one to two days.
Blue-green algae occurs naturally and often appears when weather conditions are calm. It may look like scum, grass clippings, fuzz or gobs on the surface of the water. Despite the name, it can be greenish-brown, brown and/or pinkish-red. It often smells musty or grassy.
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