CRD issues blue-green algae advisory for Thetis Lake

Heads up if you’re planning to stay cool at a lake!

The Capital Regional District (CRD), in consultation with Island Health, has issued a blue-green algae warning for the primary beach at Lower Thetis Lake on Wednesday, June 24th.

The main beach is the first beach visitors arrive at after the parking lot at Thetis Lake Regional Park.

There is also an advisory in place for Beaver Lake, located in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park.

The CRD is reminding residents that blue-green algae can produce cyanotoxins, which can be harmful to humans and animals if they come in contact with it.

Visitors are advised to avoid contact and keep animals leashed to prevent them from drinking or swimming in the lake until the advisory has been lifted.

This algae typically produces a blue-green sheen appearing on the surface of the water as scum, although not all blooms are easy to see and can still be present even if not visible.

Blooms are unpredictable and can occur at any time.

Ingesting water containing the cyanotoxins that blue-green algae produces may cause a range of symptoms, including headaches and abdominal pain in humans, and can lead to liver damage in dogs, the advisory states.

For more information on cyanobacteria blooms and their impacts on health, visit the Healthlink BC website here.