Caution is being urged in Darlings Lake after blue-green algae were detected in a water sample.
New Brunswick Public Health issued a blue-green algae advisory for the lake late last week.
Vicky Lutes, a spokesperson for the Department of Environment, said it is the first such advisory for Darlings Lake.
“Advisories are issued to inform local recreational water users to help make informed decisions on water use in the affected area and to be more aware to look for the formation of highly visible blooms and scum,” Lutes said in an email.
Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, are a naturally occurring bacteria found in many New Brunswick ponds, lakes, and rivers.
The bacteria are not normally visible, but under certain conditions, can increase in numbers to form surface blooms of benthic mats.
“While not all blue-green algae are harmful, some can produce toxins that can be harmful to people and pets,” Vicky Lutes, a spokesperson for the Department of Environment, said in a statement.
The algae are most commonly blue-green in colour as its name suggests, but surface blooms can also be green, red, brown, or yellow.
Blooms can also appear as mats that can look like clumps of vegetation that appear black, brown or dark green in the water. On the shoreline, they may be brown or grey once they have dried and can sometimes be attached to rocks or aquatic vegetation found floating in the water.
Public Health says you and your pets should avoid swimming in areas where there are visible blooms or mats.
Pets should also be kept away from the mats as they can be toxic and potentially lethal if eaten.
Blue-green advisories are in effect for 20 waterways across the province, including the Saint John River between Woodstock and Fredericton, Urqhart’s Cove in Belleisle Bay, Grand Lake, and Washademoak Lake.
The @Gov_NB has issued an advisory confirming the presence of a cyanobacteria bloom in Darlings Lake- please use caution if engaging in activities in the lake. For more info, check out our friends @ACAPSaintJohn webpage on how to spot a cyanobacteria bloom! pic.twitter.com/FBQyT8WOFN
— HRAA (@HammondRiverNB) July 9, 2021
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