Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) has been confirmed in the water at Lower Therien Lake – Crestview Beach.
Cyanobacteria are naturally occurring and often become visible when weather conditions are calm. The Blue-green algae appear like scum, grass clippings, fuzz, or globs on the surface of water and can be blue-green, greenish-brown, brown, and/or pinkish-red, and often smells musty or grassy.
Anyone who comes in contact with visible blue-green algae or who ingest water containing blue-green algae may experience skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea. Symptoms usually appear within one to three hours and resolve in one to two days.
Residents and visitors near the lake are asked to take the following precautions:
- Avoid all contact with blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms. If contact occurs, wash with tap water as soon as possible.
- Do not swim or wade, or allow your pets to swim or wade in any areas where blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) is visible.
- Do not feed whole fish or fish trimmings from this lake to your pets.
- Consider limiting human consumption of whole fish and fish trimmings from this lake, as it is known that fish may store toxins in their liver. (People can safely consume fish fillets from this lake).
AHS would like to remind everyone to avoid drinking or using the water to cook with untreated water directly from any recreational body of water, including Lower Therien Lake. An alternate source of drinking water should also be provided for pets and livestock while this advisory is active.