WEB FIRST: Strange algae bloom identified

The mystery has been solved.

A large algae bloom on Shuswap Lake was identified Tuesday by Dr. John Stockner, an independent consultant and adjunct professor at UBC.

A limnologist with specialty in algae identification, Stockner identified the algae as a member of the chrysophyte family and notes two species were likely involved.

These algae are abundant in spring and are common in temperate waters throughout the world.

“The stars were aligned correctly for the chrysophyte’s arrival,” Stockner said Wednesday, noting the algae feed on phosphorous and nitrogen, which probably entered the shallow arm of Salmon Arm Bay from the Salmon River and run-off from Salmon Arm. “It requires a nutrient load of some significance to reach the size. We were counting 81,000 cells per ml of water – much more than you would expect to find. I call this a chrysophyte or golden algae bloom.”

Another aspect of this particular algae is a fishy oily smell that is imparted to the water and hence drinking and bathing water.

In the good-news department there seems to be no threat to health, and samples taken well away from the bloom were normal.

“In the books I surveyed it showed no major toxicity to human beings,” said Stockner. “Nevertheless, if I were on the lake, I would not be drinking it without boiling it first.”

Stockner compares the bloom to the proverbial canary in the mine – “a little bit sick.”

“I think you need to say this may be a wake-up call for better monitoring of the lake,” he said.

Ian McGregor, regional manager of the ministry’s Fish and Wildlife branch in Kamloops, agrees.

He says a Shuswap Lake Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP) document produced over the winter following consultation with technical experts, government officials and others, is just being completed.

“One of the highest priority recommendations from the SLIPP team is to develop a well-co-ordinated and well-resourced water quality and water-use monitoring program,” he says, “and that it be expanded to include the entire Shuswap Watershed.”

McGregor is hoping government will step up to the plate with the close to $200,000 that will be needed to put that part of the plan in action.

“The ink is just drying on the document and we’re getting an algae bloom like this on the lake for the first time in history,” he says. “What concerns me is this occurrence is of major significance. Even if it is a natural occurrence, it has never occurred to the degree we’re currently experiencing, which to me, is a signal that something has gone awry.”

Stockner, meanwhile says he thinks the bloom will dissipate with a bit of wind.

At its peak last week, long plumes of golden algae stretched some 50 kilometres from Salmon Arm Bay to Cinnemousin Narrows, pushing a little bit into Anstey Arm as well.