Water testing in Lake Minnewasta (Manitoba, Canada) is done daily as per the Morden’s Lake Minnewasta Campground Manager, Brian Thiessen. The recent discovery of algae bloom has put the lake under an Algae Advisory notice.
As per a report, Thiessen explained that this isn’t unusual.
“An Algae Advisory has been posted for Lake Minnewasta. We monitor algae blooms on a daily basis, and we know we are going to get them; it happens every August. So, we watch out very closely for that, and we report these to the province as soon as they’re spotted.”
He provided more details on how for making the advisory decision.
“I notified them on the second regarding a bloom. The following day, the bloom had receded, and then again, on the 8th, we reported a bloom, and they came out and tested the water, and our Cyanobacteria cell counts were elevated, which means our first level advisory is put in place. Which means don’t swim where it’s green. If you happen to come in contact with it, we just encourage you to shower after, and of course, don’t let your pets drink where it’s green.”
Beach goers are still advised to enjoy all that the lake has to offer. Thiessen assured the public that the lake would be monitored, but daily levels would fluctuate.
“Being that it’s just your first-level advisory, we’re not closing the beach. We’ll keep monitoring the bloom, and it will come and go up as the days depending on the direction of the winds, and what the weather itself does, so we’ll still have good beach days, and we’ll have some days that won’t be as good.”
Deputy Manager of Operations, Santokh Randawa, said in a statement that the City is still waiting for research authorization from the Pest Management Regulatory Authority (PMRA) to use the lake as a trial site for an algae Sonic Treatment System since the application was sent in the spring of this year. He remains hopeful to be approved this fall, with installation scheduled next year.
Lake Minnewasta is located in the southwest area of Morden, Manitoba. It offers various outdoor recreation opportunities like hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, and camping.
Lake Minnewasta has non-services tent sites, water, and electric sites, or full hookup RV sites.
This story originally appeared on Pembina Valley. Featured image from the City of Morden.
It’s splendid! Despite the algae advisory, there are still loads of enjoyable activities at Lake Minnewasta, like fishing and boating. I’m thrilled about the educational sessions the campground staff are planning to help us enjoy the lake safely during this time.
Let’s embrace the challenges. Together, we’ll navigate this with positivity. The sun’s reflection on the lake is simply mesmerizing. Let’s cherish these moments.