Please read the following message from Bonny Hoyt-Hallet on behalf of the Water Monitoring team:
As some of you may have noticed on a previous post there has been some observations of a potential algae bloom along the Yoho road lakeshore edge.
Each of you had or will be receiving a package this week containing info on keeping our lake healthy, In this is a document outlining information on algae blooms and what to do or not do.
With each bloom and this will not be the only one, we will not be sampling each one. Residents should notify the monitoring committee and myself as chair, of the location and observation, so we can keep a watchful eye and notify residents to be cautious.
We must assume that each is blue green algae and toxic and avoid the area for swimming / drinking and use by animals in the area of the bloom.
So far we have been lucky and these blooms are short lived and dissipate quickly. There is no facility in NB at present to test for toxins in blue green algae but work is ongoing through NBALA / UNB and RPC. All blue green algae is not toxic but for the sake of caution we must treat it as if it were.
Our lake has been posted as of last year as a result of that algae bloom. It is posted at the only semi public entrance to our lake that being the scout camp, these signs stay in place once a lake has been identified.
DELG and Public safety will not test each bloom so it is our role to do what we can to prevent blooms and be cautious when we see one and report it to your lake Executive or Monitoring Committee. The lake is being monitored every 2 weeks and is warm and low right now and susceptible to blooms.
Bonny Hoyt-Hallett
Chair Yoho lake monitoring committee
For more information, please refer to the government website on blue-green algae.