Wabamun Lake under blue-green algae advisory

A health advisory has been issued for a popular lake west of Edmonton.

Alberta Health Services on Friday issued a blue-green algae advisory for Wabamun Lake.

The prominent summer and cottage destination is located 65 kilometres west of Edmonton on Highway 16.

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The AHS advisory asks residents near the lake and users of it to:

• avoid contact with the algae blooms;
• wash with tap water if contact with a bloom occurs;
• abstain and keep pets from swimming or wading in any parts of the lake where blue-green algae is visible;
• cease feeding pets trimmings of fish caught in the lake;
• refrain from using untreated water from the lake to drink or cook with. Boiling the water will not remove toxins produced by the algae (cynobacteria).

AHS says people who come into contact with blue-green algae, oringest it, may experience skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea one-to-three hours after coming into contact with it. Symptoms usually resolve in one or two days.

Water at Wabamun Lake which is not visibly close to a blue-green algae bloom can still be used recreationally during a health advisory, AHS says.

Blue-green algae occurs naturally and often become visible when weather conditions are calm.