There have been reports of a significant algae bloom at Anglin Lake.  Below is the notice that has been shared with Anglin Lake cottage owner’s association, Anglin Scout Camp and Land of the Loon Resort.

You can read about blue-green algae here, and an FAQ here.

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Things You Can do to Prevent Erosion:

• Protect the Shoreline with a Buffer
  Plant roots (especially native plants) anchor and stabilize the soil, reduce and slow runoff and reduce wave action energy | Riprap (angular rock) retaining walls prevent erosion by reducing wave energy
• Reduce Runoff
  Keep paved / hard surfaces (decks and driveways) to a minimum | Use rain barrels and settling areas to reduce runoff coming from driveways and roofs
• Minimize Boat Wakes
  Slow down when close to shore | Utilize deeper parts of the lake for sporting and high speeds
• Take Construction Precautions
  Use silt fences, control mats, and hay bales to help control erosion | Cover exposed soil piles with tarps | Disturb as little of an area as possible | Avoid construction during wet months
• Limit Foot Traffic
  Create a dedicated footpath | Avoid pathways that are in a straight line | Build curved / S-pattern pathways

Download the poster here.

More About Riparian Area

Riparian areas are where terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems meet. These areas are found along lake shores, wetlands, and stream banks. They produce varieties of water-tolerant trees, shrubs and grasses. Riparian areas are critical in maintaining balance and water quality of a waterbody since they trap sediment, filter water, reduce erosion and flood risk, and maintain biodiversity.

Healthy shorelines are critical in keeping our lakes clean and healthy. Healthy shorelines rich in native plants provide many benefits and functions.
5 Key Benefits of a Healthy Shoreline

1. Maintains Good Water Quality by filtering polluted runoff before it enters the water, reducing over-abundant algal blooms
2. Reduces Flood Risk by slowing the velocity of surface runoff before it enters the water
3. Creates Wildlife Habitat by providing food and shelter for land and aquatic organisms
4. Reduces Erosion by plants immense underground root networks that hold soil in place
5. Maintains / increases Property Values by reducing negative impacts that can hinder a property’s aesthetic appeal and recreational opportunity

Download the poster here.

Impacts of Boat Wakes

Lake users receive a great deal of enjoyment from various recreational boating activities. Over the last 40 years the use of motorized recreational water-crafts have increased significantly. The recreational activities we do on the water can have many impacts on lake health. If we adapt our recreational activities to include good lake stewardship we can minimize our impacts and help preserve habitat for future generations.

Boat Wakes Can:

• Drown bird nests and their young
• Cause shoreline erosion and can even cause banks to collapse
• In shallow waters, boat wake and boat propeller wash can disturb sediment on the lake bottom and release nutrients, which can result in increased plant growth, algal blooms, and fish kills
• Cause damage to boats that are secured to docks and boat docking and mooring hardware
• Cause inexperienced swimmers and children to get overturned
• Passengers of neighboring boats can lose their balance and can even be thrown overboard

5 Ways You can be Wake Wise:

1. Be aware of your wake size during displacement, transition, and planning speeds
2. Look behind you to see and understand the impact your boat wake has on shorelines, swimmers, and docks and adjust your speed and direction as necessary
3. Reduce your speed below 10km/h when you are within 30m of the shore
4. Utilize deeper parts of the lake for sporting and high speeds
5. When purchasing a new boat consider the size of wake the boat will produce

Download the poster here.

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No.

The colour of water in a lake is not related to bacterial pollution or unsanitary conditions. It is caused primarily by decaying organic matter such as leaves, bark, humus and aquatic plants. Metals such as iron and manganese that occur naturally in the soils of the watershed and lake sediments may also contribute to a waterbody’s colour.

Highly coloured waterbody’s frequently have extensive wetlands along their shores or within their watersheds. It is the decomposition of the organic matter produced in these wetlands that contributes to the colour. Tea colour is often associated with shallow lakes with mucky lake bottoms. These lakes receive organic debris and they tend to fill in over geologic time. Large, deep lakes with sandy/rocky bottoms tend to have clear water.

Water colour can be influenced by any number of factors: some colours occur naturally; some may be human-induced or result from a combination of circumstances. For example, heavy rain events are known to wash organic substances into the water where they dissolve and act as a dye; seasonal algae blooms can result in such high concentrations of algae that the water becomes tinted with the colouration of the algal cells; or wind events may stir up fine particles off the bottom, re-suspending them into the water column. Colour may also be the result of inorganic materials (e.g., clay particles, etc.) from storm-water runoff or shoreline erosion.

Lakes that are surrounded by coniferous forests (evergreens such as pine, spruce, hemlock and fir trees) are generally brown in colour because pine needles that fall to the ground are very slow to degrade. This is also true of lakes surrounded by wetlands, where plants decompose very slowly. Decomposing plant and animal mater can give surface water and groundwater a tea-like yellow-brown hue, as well as a musty smell.

The brown colouring comes from tannins leaching into runoff water from tree roots and decaying vegetation. This colouration is common, and can be observed in places like swamps or stagnant ponds.

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The cause of swimmers’ itch is an allergic reaction to parasites that migrate from snails to ducks, geese, gulls, swans, muskrats and beavers. The parasites then return to water through infected feces and eggs.
Swimmers’ itch isn’t contagious from person to person. You don’t need to worry about “catching” swimmers’ itch from someone who has the itchy rash.

Definition:

Swimmers’ itch is an itchy rash caused by certain parasites that normally live on waterfowl and freshwater snails. On warm, sunny days, especially in calm freshwater lakes or ponds, these parasites can be released into the water. During your swim, these parasites might burrow into your skin, where they cause the swimmers’ itch rash. Humans aren’t suitable hosts for these parasites, so the parasites soon die.

Although uncomfortable, swimmers’ itch is usually short-lived. The rash of swimmers’ itch, also called cercarial dermatitis, typically clears up on its own within a few days. In the meantime, you can control itching with over-the-counter or prescription medications. If symptons persist, consult your doctor.

What are the symptoms of swimmer’s itch?

Sensitized people get swimmer’s itch when the cercarial stage (originating in specific snail species) accidentally enters their skin. Usually within 30 minutes, a small red spot appears at the site where the cercaria penetrated.

This red spot will continue to increase in size for the next 24-30 hours. The raised, reddened spot is now called a papule. It will continue to itch for up to a week. Papules are limited to areas of the body that get exposed to water because cercariae can not live out of the water. For a few species of parasites that cause swimmer’s itch, toweling off may help. For most species however, toweling off may be ineffective because the cercariae penetrated the skin while the person was in the water.

If swimmer’s itch occurs on a lake, does that mean that the lake is polluted?

No, the opposite is probably true. Natural lake conditions promote the diversity of species, including the birds and snails that are potential hosts for the swimmer’s itch parasite.

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Often called bloodsuckers, Leeches are an important part of the natural food web in lakes. Most species of leech feed on worms, snails and insect larvae. Some species prefer vertebrate hosts such as fish, reptiles and mammals. Leeches are a food source for vertebrates such as fish, ducks, and turtles. They are typically found in shallow, protected water, among aquatic plants or under stones, logs and other debris.

Most leeches feed by sucking blood from their hosts.

A leech can ingest several times its own weight in blood after which it will drop off and seek a hiding place. It will not feed again for weeks or even months. Leech saliva contains an anesthetic so their victims do not feel them break the skin. It also contains an anti-coagulant, called hirudin, which passes into the wound to facilitate the flow of blood.

Summertime means more leeches.

Leeches reproduce in the spring. The young leeches are out of their cocoons several weeks later, just in time for swimming season! While generally nocturnal creatures, leeches are attracted to water disturbance created by swimming and wading. Leeches prefer the shallow, protected areas of lakes. They also prefer areas with aquatic weeds, submerged branches, or other debris on which to attach themselves or to hide. Swimming in deeper waters and in areas free of plants and debris will reduce the likelihood of a leech finding you.

A leech on your skin after swimming or wading, don’t pull it off!

The mouthparts of the leech could remain in the skin and cause infection. Use of an irritant, such as salt or heat, will make the leech let go. Clean, disinfect and bandage leech bites to prevent infection. A leech bite may ooze for several hours. This is caused by compounds present in leech saliva that reduce blood clotting. There may also be irritation or itching after a bite, similar to that of a mosquito bite. If the wound doesn’t heal properly, contact your doctor.

Can you get rid of leeches in your swimming area?

There are no chemical control measures that will effectively reduce leech populations without causing harm to other beneficial aquatic animals including fish. Because leeches like to conceal themselves under sticks and other debris, keeping swimming areas free of such material may help reduce the human/leech encounter. However, to maintain a healthy shoreline, leave the natural vegetation on the shore and in the water.

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Where Do Sediments Come From?

Sediments come from exposed earth and sites where erosion is occurring, such as shorelines, stream banks, cleared forests, as well as construction and excavation sites with exposed soils. Water is the main transporter of sediments into water bodies. Waves may erode shorelines, and storm events may wash sediments into surrounding streams, storm drains, or directly into the lake.

Why Is Sedimentation A Problem?

When sediments are washed into streams and lakes, it takes time for them to settle to the bottom. Whether suspended or settled, sediments can degrade water quality and may harm plant and animal life in various ways.

• Sediments can carry nutrients, such as phosphorus, bacteria, and other pollutants into waterbodies degrading water quality.
• Suspended sediments can harm plant and animal life by blocking much needed sunlight.
• Sediments can cloud the water to the extent of suffocating plant and animal life.
• Sediments may disrupt aquatic food webs by destroying feeding and spawning grounds for fish and other aquatic animals.

How can I Reduce Sedimentation?

Homeowners are encouraged to leave a buffer area of un-managed vegetation between their lawn and the water line to help prevent stormwater runoff pollutants from entering the lake. Natural shoreline vegetation reduces erosion from wind, rain, waves, ice and boats.

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What causes the foaming of surface waters on lakes?

The foaming of surface water on lakes is not a new phenomenon. It is a natural process that has been going on for a long time. Foam is created when the surface tension of water (the attraction of surface molecules for each other) is reduced and air is mixed in, forming bubbles. Man-made agents can also reduce surface tension.

All lakes contain organic matter, such as algae and plants, and when these decompose they release cellular products (surfactant) into the water, which lessens the surface tension. When the wind blows, the waves on the lake agitate this surface agent, transforming it into sudsy white foam. Currents and boats also mix air with the organic compounds present in the lake to produce foam.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, many communities experienced tremendous foam problems in lakes, rivers, sewage treatment plants, and even in drinking water from contaminated wells. This foam was caused by synthetic laundry detergents that were highly resistant to chemical breakdown. These synthetic detergents were slow to naturally degrade. Now the sudsing agent of all detergents now on the market must be biodegradable (able to be broken down by bacteria). This means that they quickly lose their ability to cause foaming and are unable to produce the long-lasting foam found along many shores.

Where is lake foam found and what it’s like?

Lake foam will frequently form parallel streaks in the open water, caused by wind-induced surface currents. It also collects in large quantities on windward shores, coves, or in eddies.

Natural foam has a somewhat earthy fishy aroma and may have an off-white, tan, or brown color. Detergent foam, in contrast will have a noticeable perfume smell, and is usually whiter in colour.

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