Water bodies throughout the Lakeland region are affected more and more by the presence of blue-green algae — and a regional group tasked with protecting the waters of the region says the growing infestation is a killer.
"Killer Algae Plagues Alberta Lakes: Is Lac La Biche Next?" is the headline topic at the June 24 annual general meeting of the Lac La Biche Region Water Stewardship Society. And while the wording sounds sensational, researchers around the world say it's not.
Recent headlines from the United States show a growing rate of blue-green algae growth in water bodies across their country — including large areas like the Gulf of Mexico. In some instances, chemical analysis of the toxins found in the blue-green algae are 10-times the levels considered to be "hazardous for recreational contact" by the World Health Organization.
Dive into area water issues
The Lac La Biche Region Water Stewardship Society AGM will be a virtual meeting on Zoom, starting June 24 at 7 pm. While the graphic title of the upcoming presentation will get some attention, Brian Deheer, the vice president of the regional watershed society, hopes the topic will get some public involvement.
"We want to bring awareness to the watershed management plan," said Deheer, adding that a recent grant received by the society was hoped to increase awareness and outreach — until another virus got in the way. "The idea was to use some of that funding to hold a series of open houses to engage and educate the public ... but COVID-19 changed that."
Instead, Deheer says a series of online webinars are now planned — including some for school-aged kids.
The whole idea is to raise awareness with residents and visitors who use the area's water bodies. And right now, says Deheer, there is a real danger associated with the growth of the blue-green algae outbreaks. Microcystin is a toxin produced by the algae, that can cause vomiting if swallowed by humans. Alberta Health Services has issued blue-green algae advisories for Lac La Biche lake in each of the last six years. Provincial officials say contact with algae outbreaks may cause skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea. Consumption of the toxin can be lethal to pets. Long-term effects are also suspected to include higher probabilities of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Tourism and economy
The effects of the algae outbreaks not only affect the health of individuals, but also the health of economies that rely on tourism or water-sourced industries like fishing. In an area called 'the Lakeland', the significance of the growing algae 'plague' could be significant.
Plans to combat the algae growth, as well as other directions to maintain and improve the region's lake health will be presented at the watershed society's AGM on June 24.
Guest speaker Jay White, an Alberta biologist, researcher and a lake environmental conservation representative on the Alberta Water Council will present at the meeting.
According to Alberta Health Services, there are currently no blue-green algae alerts in any Alberta lakes. Last year, AHS issued its first algae alert of the season for Lac La Biche lake on July 9.
