A popular recreational lake just east of Thunder Bay has been getting some tender-loving care lately.
Concerned in the wake of recently confirmed cases of blue-green algae cases in the lake, a group of supporters dubbed the Loon Lake Waterkeepers Conservancy aims to ramp up efforts to promote stewardship of the water body, located about 55 kilometres east of the city off Highway 11-17.
“We are in the early stages of planning future work for next summer,” group member Tom Beasley said on Monday.
On Saturday, about a dozen divers conducted an underwater inspection, resulting in the recovery of an oil drum that had been used for the East Loon diving tower.
“The drum oozed tar onto the West Loon boat launch, which we picked up,” member Cathy Tuckwell said in an update. “It’s probably 60-year-old coagulated oil.”
Oil drums had been used to keep the dive tower afloat.
There are about 240 camps on Loon Lake, which spans over about five square kilometres. In 2022 and 2023, blue-green algae, was confirmed in East Loon Lake and West Loon Lake respectively by Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
Experts say a rise in blue-green algae cases in Northern Ontario lakes and rivers could be due to a combination of rising temperatures and excessive use of household appliances like clothes and dishwashers. Blue-green algae can be toxic to humans and animals.
On Saturday, divers placed eight “temperature loggers” in the lake at various locations and depths.
“The loggers, which are borrowed through Lakehead University, will record temperatures every two hours for over a year,” the conservancy group said.
”The readings will assist in understanding changes in temperatures over a full year and can be correlated with occurrences of blue-green algae in the lake.”
Beasley says the conservancy group has been promoting phosphate-free soap as well as urging camp owners to upgrade septic systems, which is another source of algae.
Shoreline rehabilitation with native plants — something promoted by the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority in other parts of the Lakehead watershed to control run-off — is also being encouraged, Beasley said.
