Algae toxins, blooms and E. coli found in handful of Manitoba lakes prompt advisory

Advisories have been posted at a handful of Manitoba lakes warning of high levels of algae toxins and blooms.

In its weekly beach report, the province said it issued a second level algae toxin advisory for Otter Lake – a small lake located about 30 km north of Minnedosa. The province said the concentration of the algal toxin microcystin was well above the recreational water quality objective.

"Swimming, drinking, or other contact with the water at Otter Lake is not recommended at this time," the report reads, adding sampling is ongoing.

That is not the only beach in Manitoba that has advisories posted.

The province said algal blooms were sampled at Grindstone Beach on Lake Winnipeg and Ninette Beach on Pelican Lake.

"The number of blue-green algae cells was above Manitoba’s recreational water quality objective at Grindstone Beach and Ninette Beach while the concentrations of the algal toxin microcystin were below the recreation objective," the report reads.

It said first level algae advisory signs are posted at the two beaches, informing visitors that blue-green algal blooms have been found at the beach.

The province said E. coli counts were above the recreational water quality objective at Plum Coulee Beach on Monday and Wednesday – prompting advisory signs to be posted.

E. coli counts were also noted to briefly be above the recreational water quality objective at Delta Beach and St. Ambroise Beach on Lake Manitoba, Birds Hill Park East Beach, and Lester Beach on Lake Winnipeg. The province said the counts quickly returned to the objective levels by Wednesday.

More information can be found online.