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Residents of Yellowknife’s Old Town and Latham Island are being warned by the NWT government that blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, is present in the area.
The Department of Environment and Climate Change said its scientists had confirmed an algal bloom reported on Sunday was cyanobacteria.
“Cyanobacteria naturally occur in the NWT and, when in low numbers, are a normal part of a healthy environment,” the department stated in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“However, under certain conditions they can proliferate and form blooms and some species may release toxins. This means a cyanobacteria bloom could potentially be harmful.”
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The GNWT says people should “avoid using areas where blooms are visible” and make sure neither people nor pets drink or bathe in the water.
“In areas without visible blooms, enjoy the lake as responsibly and safely as you would normally,” Tuesday’s statement added.
This is the second successive year in which a similar algal bloom has been reported in the vicinity of Yellowknife.
“Although still uncommon, cyanobacteria blooms are becoming more frequent in NWT waters,” ECC stated.
“Blooms can look like ‘pea soup’ or ‘blue-green paint’ in the water, but can also appear green, green-brown, red-brown, and even red.”
Anyone who see such a bloom is asked to contact their regional ECC office.
