Algae blooms surface
News
Posted By Hayley Brigg
Updated 1 month ago
Beach goers were wary of the water last weekend after a bloom of what is believed to be blue-green algae was spotted near the shores of Grand Beach.
Satellite images from the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium, which collects data on the lake via the MV Namao, show a large green mass in the lake's south basin that stretches from Grand Beach across the beach to near the shores of Gimli.
"From what we understand, a bloom had formed near the shores of Grand Beach over the weekend and some of it did wash on shore," said Nicole Armstrong, director of the Water Science and Management branch of Manitoba Water Stewardship.
However, Armstrong reports that when members of the Manitoba Water Stewardship water quality sampling team visited the site Monday to collect samples of the algae, the bloom had dissipated.
"Whenever we see algae blooms we do collect samples, but in this case we were unable to get a sample," said Armstrong, explaining windy, wavy weather often causes algae blooms to disappear. "So while from what we gather it appears it was blue-green algae and blooms of that size usually are blue-green algae, we don't know for sure."
During the summer months algae blooms can be a common site in Lake Winnipeg, as warm and calm weather coupled with high nutrient levels provide ideal conditions for blooms to develop. While regular algae are mostly harmless, blooms with high levels of blue-green algae cells can be dangerous, as they could potentially become toxic.
Though they were unable to get a sample from the algae at Grand Beach, Armstrong noted that Manitoba Water Stewardship was able to sample another algae bloom farther off the coast of Grand Beach while on the MV Namao, the home of the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium.
She said the bloom found there could have possibly been the same algae from Grand Beach, and is expecting results from the sample to come back later this week.
If the bloom is indeed blue-green algae, the discovery will be the second one in Manitoba this summer. Earlier, a bloom at Killarney Lake near Turtle Mountain Provincial Park sampled for toxins that exceeded the recreational water quality guideline.
Smaller blooms have also been found near West Grand Beach and around Victoria Beach, but both have sampled for blue-green algae toxins well below the water quality guideline.
Dr. Al Kristofferson, managing director for the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium, says the latest algae bloom is just another sign to the public that they need to take better care of Lake Winnipeg.
"Progress has been made with Lake Winnipeg, but the problem hasn't gone away," said Kristofferson. "There has been a lot of awareness made, but the government can't do it all by itself. People have to be aware that there is a problem and understand the nature of the problem, so they can take steps to do their part to help."
Kristofferson explains that an excess of nutrients in the water is responsible for algae blooms, likening the process to an increase in grass growth after fertilizer is put on the ground.
While algae are an important part of the lake's ecosystem, it's when they die and decompose which is the most harmful to the lake.
"When algae die, they sink to the bottom of the lake and decompose and are dissolved by oxygen," Kristofferson explained. "The problem is that there are creatures that live at the bottom of the lake which are also important to the ecosystem, and if they are depleted of oxygen because of the algae, they'll die."
To be safe, Manitoba Water Stewardship encourages swimmers to stay away from areas of the lake where algae blooms have formed, and warns against drinking lake water regardless if algae blooms are present or not.
