News

Please read the following message from the NB Alliance of Lake Associations (NBALA):

To NBALA members

Now that the hot weather has arrived, it is particularly critical that we keep an eye open for signs of blue green algae blooms which can potentially be toxic to humans and pets.  If a bloom is suspected at your lake, use the protocol outlined below to report it to the Department of Environment and Local Government (DELG).  

Contact your lake association who will contact tje DELG Regional Office to notify them of the bloom and send DELG the completed bloom screening questionnaire found at http://www2.gnb.ca/content/​dam/gnb/Departments/env/pdf/​Water-Eau/Algae-Algues/​AlgaeQuestionnaire.pdf).  

DELG will then notify the respective Regional Medical Officer of Health and the Dept. of Justice and Public Safety Regional Office (Public Health Inspectors are now under this Dept) that an algae bloom has been reported for their followup.  

More infomation about blooms can be found at https://www2.gnb.ca/content/​gnb/en/departments/ocmoh/​healthy_environments/content/​blue_green_algae.html This message will be posted on the NBALA Facebook page to be shared with individual lake associations.  

Sheryl Bartlett
Chair, NBALA

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.

The Government of New Brunswick announced a joint investment with the federal government and the city of Moncton of roughly $22 million to upgrade the city’s drinking water system to remove blue-green algae. The funding will also be used to research new and existing technology capable of removing the harmful by-products of the algae.

Read more here: Investment in Moncton’s drinking water system

The meeting minutes from the 2020 Yoho Lake Association AGM are now available. Please note that the meeting minutes have not been adopted by the membership, as this is done at the beginning of the following year’s AGM.

2020 Yoho Lake Association AGM Minutes

Another note from Briana Cowie at the NB Alliance of Lake Associations:

Hi everyone, 

Hope you are all staying safe & well. I am sending out this Call for Proposals for all NBALA lake association members to circulate. We would like to see more youth involved in our local lake associations and environmental efforts so we have created an opportunity for young people to contribute a creative design project that involves maintaining lake health. 

The details are enclosed in the attached document. We ask that you share this widely on your social media, at your dinner tables, and with your friends & family. We will select 5 project proposals and individuals who are chosen will be provided compensation in exchange for their design as a part of our “Youth Ambassadorship” program. Interested individuals are asked to contact me by February 5th with their project ideas. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s think of creative ways to get youth thinking about environmental management! 

Thanks everyone. 

Take care,

Briana

Here is more information about the Call for Proposals.

Briana Cowie shared some information about an upcoming summit. Click through for all the details!

From the Jemseg Grand Lake Watershed Association:

Join us to learn more about what caused the 2018 flood in the lower Wələstəq (Saint John River). Jasmin Boisvert joined the Hydrology Centre in 2016, and has been updating New Brunswick’s flood forecasting/modelling tools, among other things. Previously, Jasmin has worked on research projects regarding hydrological modelling, statistical hydrology, and water availability.

This is a free Zoom-based Webinar taking place on Thursday, January 14th at 7:00 p.m. Atlantic time. Click here to register [zoom.us].

• 2021 Calendars have arrived!
• New Christmas Loon Ornament!
• Still have lots of Hoodies, T-Shirts, Coffee Mugs …..

Great Ideas to make your Christmas Shopping easy.

Covid Protocols in place. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, December 5th

374 Yoho Lake

Send to rickdebi@nb.sympatico.ca if you’d like to order ahead

2021 Calendar

Loon Ornament

Updated post, September 23, 2020, 7:00am

We have received a response from the Department of Environment and Local Government:

Thank you for letting us know about the bloom on Yoho Lake near the outlet. In terms of questions or messaging around public health and algae blooms please see the webpages below from the Department of Health. If residents still have further questions they can call the Fredericton Public Health office at 453-2830.

Links:

https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/h-s/pdf/en/HealthyEnvironments/water/BlueGreenAlgaeQA.pdf

https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/ocmoh/healthy_environments/content/blue_green_algae.html

Original post, September 22, 2020

Please note a potential bloom has been noted in the outlet and Bonny Hoyt-Hallet has notified the Department of Environment and Local Government.

Please take appropriate precautions and avoid water in that area.

For those drawing water from the lake, an alternative source is recommended as lake water should not be used for bathing or cooking until the area is clear.

We will update with more information when it is available.

Please refer to the government website on algae blooms / Cyanobacteria for more information.

We have attached some pictures from the outlet, click the button below to view them.

The Fall 2020 Roadside Cleanup will be Saturday, September 12, 2020. Those interested in helping keep the community clean are asked to meet at the Yoho Lake Road community mailboxes by 9am.

Thanks for your help!