Residents are being urged to stay out of the water at Elk Lake.
The Capital Regional District says there is a blue-green algae bloom at Elk Lake and that residents and their pets should avoid entering or swimming in the water until further notice.
“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 CRD said in a press release.
Ingesting water containing these toxins can cause various symptoms, including headaches and abdominal pain in humans and lethal liver damage in dogs.
Elk Lake is located at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park in Saanich.
Algae blooms are not uncommon within the Greater Victoria region and have happened at Elk Lake before.
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