Greater Victoria residents are being urged not to enter the water at Beaver Lake.
The Capital Regional District says there is a blue-green algae bloom at Beaver Lake, located within Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park, and is advising visitors not to drink or enter the water until further notice.
According to the CRD, blue-green algae can produce cyanotoxins, which, if ingested, can cause a range of symptoms that include headaches and abdominal pain in humans. It can lead to “lethal liver” damage in dogs.
“The algae usually produce a visible blue-green sheen, which appears as surface scum on the water. Not all blooms are easy to see and toxins can still be present in the water even if you cannot see a bloom,” the Capital Regional District said in a press release.
CHEK News
