Wagga’s Lake Albert hit by green blue algae outbreak

A popular lake known for its for water sports has been closed indefinitely after a dangerous green blue algae outbreak hit the recreation drawcard.

Green blue algae has taken over Lake Albert after the outbreak has hit the popular spot on Monday afternoon — and Wagga Council is unclear when will it stop.

The council’s environment services manager Mark Gardner said the warm weather with temperature in the high 30s for the past week and no wind had seen the deadlyalgae bloom.

The toxic algae can be dangerous towards humans and cause nausea, vomiting and skin rashes if close contact is made.

The algae is also potentially deadly to the ecosystem and can kill fish.

“We are at the mercy of the weather when this bloom will disappear,’’ Mr Gardner said.

“The environment services team is relocating the ultrasonic units in a bid to minimise the algae from re-blooming in the future at Lake Albert.’’

Mark Gardner is unsure when the lake will return to safety for swimming and water activities.

The ultrasonic units’ soundwaves cut the growth of the algae down and were trialled in 2020 to help the lake be safe and used for recreation year round.

Wagga Deputy Mayor Jenny McKinnon said the ecosystem was under threat.

“It is concerning by this happening in that large body of water as the environmental effects are greatly going to impact the ecosystem with the bird life and frogs,” she said.

“Planting all around the edge of the lake was in place to act as a filtration system but it gets overloaded; this is why the algae has formed.’’

What Lake Albert looks like when it is pristine.

The lake with the algae bloom.

“It is very environmentally unsound.’’

Mr Gardner dismissed that climate change played a part in the outbreak.

“It’s more to do with the conditions being favourable to the algae,’’ he said.

Mr Gardner said there would be no impact financially to the lake, with no events scheduled in the immediate future.

“Lake Albert financial impacts to do with this closure are none, my understanding there are no boat events, it is more of the local users that are impacted by this”, he said.

With this algae bloom there would be concerns if the Murrumbidgee River would have the same bloom given the weather in the recent weeks.

No concerns for the Murrumbidgee River.

Mr Gardner confirmed that the same type of bloom was unlikely to happen in the Murrumbidgee because it was not a static body of water.

The council must wait on advice from WaterNSW to confirm if the water is safe for swimming.