Blue-green algae spotted in Nicola Lake

File photo (Image credit: Interior Health).
Residents are being asked not to swim in parts of Nicola Lake following the sightings of blue-green algae.
In a water quality alert issued Tuesday (July 1), the Upper Nicola Band says it continues to monitor and collect data on causes of cyanobacteria blooms in the watershed. The First Nation says blooms will continue to occur in Nicola Lake with the changes in climate.
โWeather and wind conditions can cause algae blooms to move from one location in the lake to another,โ the Upper Nicola Band stated. โGiven the shifting nature of algae blooms and the ever-changing potential for toxicity from day to day, testing for toxins is not always reliable. Instead, it is safest to assume the blooms may contain toxins and adhere to precautions.
Residents are asked to avoid all contact with algae blooms and rinse themselves off with water as soon as possible if they do. Additionally, theyโre asked to prevent their pets and livestock from entering in and drinking water where algae scum is floating.
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