Residents and visitors to Kempenfelt Bay in the City of Barrie are being cautioned about a possible blue-green algae bloom.
Blooms will appear green, blue, turquoise or olive green in colour. It may also look like scum, foam, mats or paint floating on the water’s surface, and smell like rotting plants or garbage, or rotten eggs.
As a precautionary measure, the health unit advises people to take these steps around waterways where blue-green algae is visible:
- Do not swim or engage in other water sport activities where an algae bloom is visible. Blooms may make the water look bluish-green, or like green pea soup or turquoise paint.
- Do not allow pets or livestock to drink or swim in the water where an algae bloom is visible.
- Fish taken from waters with cyanobacterial blooms have the potential to contain toxins. Exercise  caution when eating fish caught in water where blue-green algae blooms occur.
- Do not use herbicides, copper sulphate or other algaecides that may break open algae cells and release toxins into the water.
Blue-green algae are microscopic organisms that are naturally present in lakes and streams. They are usually present in low numbers but can rapidly increase when the water is warm, slow moving and full of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. When this happens, they can form dense blooms and some blooms can produce toxins that are harmful to the health of humans and animals.
Symptoms following contact or consuming toxins from a blue-green algae bloom can include skin, eye or throat irritation, breathing difficulties, headaches, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms can be more serious if water is swallowed in large quantities.
The health unit, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, and will continue to work together to monitor the situation and will provide updates on our website.
For more information about blue-green algae visit smdhu.org/algae.
