VICTORIA -- The Capital Regional District (CRD) and Island Health authority are warning of a blue-green algae bloom currently taking place at Beaver Lake.
Park-goers are being advised not to swim in the water or allow their pets to drink or swim in the lake, as blue-green algae can be harmful for both humans and animals.
The algae produces cyanotoxins which can cause headaches or abdominal pain in people if ingested, or lethal liver damage in dogs.
The blue-green algae can usually be seen as a blue-green sheen on the surface of the water, which may also look like “surface scum.”
However, algae blooms can also be present without being visible to the naked eye.
The algae alert will remain in effect until further notice.
The warning is not in effect for nearby Elk Lake at this time.
Meanwhile, a blue-green algae alert remains in effect at Thetis Lake and Prior Lake, in Thetis Lake Regional Park.
The warning, which first came into effect on July 3, was last updated Monday morning.
“We continue to monitor the water quality in the lake,” said the CRD Monday.
