The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) would like to inform residents and visitors to the Township of Muskoka Lakes that additional laboratory analysis confirms the blue-green algae bloom impacting on Leonard Lake, Township of Muskoka Lakes has dissipated.
Please be advised that the public health notice regarding precautions for blue green algae issued on August 31, 2021, by the SMDHU for the south-end of Leonard Lake has been lifted.
This public notice advised residents to take precautions and avoid drinking the water where blue-green algae was visible.
Recent sampling conducted by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, no longer identify the presence of a blue-green algae bloom. Generally, cooler weather, rainfall, and reduced sunshine will lead to the breakup of an algal bloom.
Blue-green algae blooms naturally occur in freshwater lakes, bays and inlets, usually during warmer weather. They thrive where water is shallow, nutrient-rich, slow moving and warm, but may also be present below the surface.
The best method for dealing with algal blooms is prevention. Decreasing the amount of nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrogen, entering the water source can effectively reduce the occurrence and severity of algal blooms. This means using phosphate-free detergents, not using fertilizers on lakefront properties, taking steps to impede agricultural run-off, and ensuring that septic systems do not leak into the water source.
For more information, please call the SMDHU Health Connection service from Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520. Links to general information about blue-green algae are available on the health unit website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.
If you suspect a blue-green algae bloom, please assume toxins are present, avoid using the water and call the Ministry of the Environment Spills Action Centre at 1-866-663-8477.
For more information about blue-green algae, please visit the Health Unit’s Algae page.
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