While the opportunity to jump into the lake and beat the summer heat is a welcome one, visitors to Thetis Lake Regional Park may need to think twice before doing so.
The Capital Regional District (CRD), in consultation with Island Health, has advised that a blue-green algae bloom has occurred at the main beach of Lower Thetis Lake.
Blue-green algae can produce cyanotoxins, and visitors are advised to avoid contact with algae and to keep animals on a leash to prevent them from drinking or swimming in the lake.
"The algae usually produces a visible blue-green sheen, which appears as surface scum on the water. Not all blooms are easy to see and toxins can still be present in the water even if you cannot see a bloom. Blooms are unpredictable and may occur at any time," said the CRD in their public service announcement.
"Ingesting water containing these cyanotoxins may cause a range of symptoms, including headaches and abdominal pain in humans, and can lead to lethal liver damage in dogs."
Advisories remain in place for Prior Lake, located in Thetis Lake Regional Park, as well as Elk and Beaver Lakes in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park.
Visit www.crd.ca/alerts for updates on the status of algae blooms.
