Residents and visitors to St. Paul have been noticing a pungent smell coming from nearby Upper Therien Lake this spring and summer. And although those familiar with St.
Residents and visitors to St. Paul have been noticing a pungent smell coming from nearby Upper Therien Lake this spring and summer. And although those familiar with St. Paul are used to smelling the lake throughout the year, some residents believe the smell is even stronger this year.
A number of residents commented on the Journal's Facebook page that they have tried to enjoy spending time at Lagasse Park this summer, but their visits were cut short due to the smell coming from the lake.
“This year has been the worst for the lake stinking like a million outhouses. There must be something that can be done about it to make the lake beautiful to the nose as well as to the eye,&” said Bobbi Jones.
Korrol Eddingfield, another resident, agreed, saying, “I have lived in St. Paul for 11 years now. Every year it smells when you walk along the walking path. But this year is way worse. Usually we don't smell it where we live . . .but this year we have and it's strong . . . Can something be done?&”
Bert Pruneau, the chief plant operator with the Town of St. Paul Pollution Control Centre, notes, “There are usually odours every year.&”
Algae decomposing on the lake, the shallowness of Upper Therien, and the weather can all affect the smell that mostly comes off the lake. However, some of the smells do come from the lagoons at the nearby waste treatment plant, he added.
Wastewater going into the lake is treated, and that treated water has phosphorous in it, which could indirectly cause some odours because it affects algae, says Pruneau.
Gary Ward, the Town of St. Paul's recreation director, notes the town is getting the lake tested for its water quality, with Ward working alongside Alberta Environment and the Alberta Lake Management Society (ALMS).
“We haven't had water testing done since 1981,&” says Ward, adding he remembers living in St. Paul in the 1960s, and even then residents didn't go into the lake.
Although the town hasn't received any results back yet, Ward envisions residents one day using the lake, if water quality is acceptable, even if the problems of its smell cannot be addressed.
“How many small towns would love to have a lake that could be utilized?&” said Ward, when speaking of his vision for the lake. He would like to see people in kayaks and canoes using the lake for recreational purposes, should the results of testing come back with positive results.
Bradley Peters, Lake Watch program coordinator with ALMS, confirmed that the Lake Watch program is testing the lake to develop baselines for its “basic ecological health,&” and determine if recreation would be appropriate in the lake.
He noted that Upper Therien Lake has shrunk over the years and lost water levels, adding, “Definitely that would contribute to a smell if you're having exposed sediments.&”
Cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae, can also cause a smell when it collapses, but typically this only causes problems along the waterfront, according to Peters.
“It's not a standard complaint,&” he said of smells emanating from blooms, adding cyanobacteria would also not be the culprit if the smell persists in winter.
However, if cyanobacteria is found to be a problem that the town would like to address, the town may look at lake management options, including doing a state of the watershed report, changes to the lake over time, and looking at what factors might contribute to the problems of blue-green algae, he said. Aglalcides to kill blooms are an option, but are difficult to get approval for and can be expensive, added Peters.
However, he was unwilling to pinpoint any one cause of the smell, saying, “I'd be curious as to see what it is.&”
Although she also dislikes the smell that often comes from the lake, town resident Christine Reaney says she would be curious to know if the lake can be used for outdoor water activities.
“If the lake was tested to be clean, then yes, I would love to have a local lake to be our watering hole for keeping the heat out.&”
But, she admits it would be hard to enjoy the lake if the smell persisted.
“I actually . . . have taken the kids to Westcove twice in the last week to gain our sense of smell back. Water quality and sense of smell are two different things in my books. If it's not desirable to be there in all five senses, then it isn't worth it,&” said Reaney.
