Residents of Acton may have recently noticed some orange buoys in Fairy Lake.
They are part of a joint study by the Town of Halton Hills, University of Guelph, Credit Valley Conservation and Halton Region to determine cyanobacteria levels in the local lake.
More commonly known as blue-green algae, cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) are created by a complex interplay of factors. Appropriate nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen – found in the fecal matter of geese, among other sources – as well as light conditions can both trigger cHABs.
But so can temperature, hence why the buoys are attached with sensors that monitor changes in warmth and coldness.
The study isn’t just helping Fairy Lake and the residents around it, whether human or animal; it's also aiding in better understanding the health of all lakes.
“We learned what triggers the resurgence [of cHABs] from the research on cyanobacteria in Fairy Lake. This has huge potential to use what was learned and apply it to other lakes in Canada (including the implications of climate change),” University of Guelph Professor of Water Resources Engineering Dr. Ed McBean said.
The data gathered from the lake, McBean said, has allowed scientists to develop “a greatly improved understanding that should allow us to assess risks” of blooms and make it easier to forecast them.
It may be tempting to label cyanobacteria as universally bad, but it performs a vital function in our environment. It's one of the most ancient forms of life in the natural history of the earth and it – alongside terrestrial plants like trees – makes the atmosphere breathable by creating oxygen.
Overproduction of cyanobacteria, however, can be destructive to the environment, posing a danger to the lives of fish and plants. Exposure to humans can result in skin rashes, pink eye, respiratory illnesses if gasses produced from it are inhaled and several gastrointestinal symptoms if swallowed, all ranging in severity.
The presence of blue-green algae – a misnomer as it's not algae – is not new to Acton. Many local residents are often wary of the state of Fairy Lake. Its water quality has meant that the Prospect Park beach has regularly been unsuitable for swimming.
TheSwimGuide.org’s own data going back to 2009 shows that the area met quality standards less than 60 per cent of the time, with 2009, 2012 and 2018 being the three best years. There appear to be more years with failures than years with passes, however, and the two worst years listed are 2020 and 2022.
Dr. Amanjot Singh – Credit Valley Conservation's water quality expert – told HaltonHillsToday that the study will be concluded early next year and the report with the findings will be made available to the public in 2025.
For those interested in learning more about blue-green algae and the project at Fairy Lake, Dr. Singh’s September webinar has more information.
