Blue-green alage, otherwise known as cyanobacteria, have been in the news a lot recently. There have been health advisories issued for Pigeon, Isle, Wizard, Calling, and Baptiste Lakes this summer. You might also have noticed the smelly, green, scum forming in your favourite lake.  Blue-green algae are a natural part of the typical Albertan lake environment but may be exacerbated by human activity.  ALMS has a fantastic information sheet on cyanobacterial blooms in surface waters that answers these questions:

• Why do blooms occur?
• When and where do blooms occur?
• Are blooms predictable?
• Why are blooms undesirable?
• What can we do about cyanobacterial blooms?

You can also visit our resources page for further information on water quality.

The main reason for concern is that blue-green algae produce toxins and during blooms these toxins can be concentrated enough to cause serious illness to animals or humans who drink or have skin contact with the lake water. People are cautioned to not drink, swim, wade or eat fish from the lakes in the midst of a bloom. If you are planning to vacation at a lake you may want to check theswimguide.org which includes information on 55 of Alberta's most popular beaches, including health warnings, and is available in a free iphone app.

The good news is that most blue-green algae blooms are short-lived, and will naturally decline as weather conditions change. The bad news is that there is some suggestion that the frequency of blooms may be on the rise. In a recent article Dr David Schindler is quoted as saying "The species is natural, but the outbreaks have increased two to three-fold in the last 30 years." (to read the full article click here).

ALMS encourages all lake watershed managers and any concerned citizens to learn more about the long-term solutions to reduce the amount of nutrients entering lakes and take individual and group action.  If you would like help please contact us.

Healthy, intact shoreline vegetation is a critical component of healthy lakes. Loss or removal of vegetation from the lake or along the shore can adversely affect fish and wildlife habitat as well as increase erosion. Rooted aquatic plants growing in the shallow waters of lakes stabilize the bed and shore. They provide a physical barrier to wave action and reduce soil movement and erosion. These shoreline areas are important for fish, waterfowl and wildlife. As well, shoreline and aquatic plants use nutrients that would otherwise contribute to the growth of unwanted algae. So preservation of shoreline vegetation is an important part of keeping your lake healthy, but did you know that allowing weeds and invasive plants to establish on shorelines should also be prevented?  

Impacts of invasive plants can include:

· Reduced structural and habitat diversity for wildlife.

· Creation of a physical barrier for animals to access the water source.

· Poorer forage for wildlife and livestock since most weeds are unpalatable      and some are toxic.

· Increased erosion, run-off and bank instability as most weed species lack  deep, binding root systems compared to the native species they replace.

· Lower resilience of natural ecosystems to natural disturbances such as  floods and fire.

Weeds and invasive plants are especially devastating to shorelines and streambeds due to the ease with which they spread: wind, wave and/or stream flow can carry quickly disseminate seeds widely. The nature of many shorelines (steep, unstable and/or inaccessible) makes control extremely difficult.

The Alberta Invasive Plant Council produces a brochure called Ac

tion Against Weeds: Shoreline Stewardship that is a good resource to help you determine some actions appropriate to your lake. You can also use their fact sheets on the various provincially-listed weed species for specific control ideas. 

Read about Pigeon Lake Watershed Association's work to eradicate Himalayan Balsam here

Beneficial Management Practices Project 2010 Progress Report 

This new regulation streamlines management tools to support long-term health of the land, including identifying circumstances when it may be necessary to temporarily restrict access to public land. Effective Sept 12. Read the full press release here.

Draft Lower Athabasca Regional Plan Released

Read full press release here or download a copy on on www.landuse.alberta.ca. 

ALMS Urban Lakes and Wetlands Workshop, September 30 to October 1, Chestermere. Click here for information and to register

Current Issues in Storm Drainage. Oct 21,  

Edmonton, AB. 

One day seminar about current legal issues, monitoring and inspection, the proper design of storm drainage management plans.