May 12, 2021 | 11:20 AM
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C – The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has developed an educational Algae Watch website.
The website invites people to contribute any information on B.C.’s algae situation and will help community members recognize potentially harmful algae blooms and differentiate algae blooms from other natural phenomena like foam or pollen which can look like blooms.
There will be an online submission form on the website that will give information regarding the location, extent, and photos of the algae bloom. It will also have links to health authorities in the event of a blue-green algae bloom.
VICTORIA The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has developed a new website to offer more information about increasingly common algae blooms in B.C. waterways and help people understand why some of the organisms might pose a safety risk. The site was developed after a bloom last summer turned the usually pristine waters at one end of Shuswap Lake into what the ministry describes as “pea soup” the first time such a bloom had occurred there. Most algae growth, like the one that has now cleared in Shuswap Lake, are harmless but some algae has the potential to produce toxins that can be dangerous to people, pets or livestock.