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I know Dickson has been closed for at least two years in a row now, but I thought only Hardy's Bay on Lavielle was closed to campers? Are they assuming the algae bloom will have spread to the rest of Lake Lavielle or are they just closing it for now until they can further assess it when the ice is out?
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I noticed the same thing yesterday on the online reservations system. I mentioned it here and in a couple of Algonquin facebook groups, wondering if there had been a notice posted somewhere or if anyone had some inside info. Nobody seems to know anything.
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I tweeted Algonquin Park and got a response almost immediately. 
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Well I sure wish that MNR would figure out why these lakes are being infected with Blue-Green algae. The factors which would normally account for algae blooms should not be present in wilderness lakes.
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Interesting that Crow Bay is open, but the campsite east of Lavieille is closed.. I suppose it could be as simple as the water flows from west to east, but you'd think they'd just shut down the whole area to be safe.. If the algae reached the outlet of the crow river.. how long before it enters the Petewawa River just a few km's downstream?
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yellowcanoe wrote:
Well I sure wish that MNR would figure out why these lakes are being infected with Blue-Green algae. The factors which would normally account for algae blooms should not be present in wilderness lakes.
That's a misunderstanding. Blue-green algae blooms can and do occur naturally. Given the location of these lakes and isolation from artificial nutrient sources such as fertilizer run off, there is every reason to believe these are natural occurrences.
Here is a link to an article by the Department of Natural Resources in Wisconsin:
"=1.1emAre blue-green algae blooms a new problem?No. Fossil evidence suggests that blue-green algae have been around for millions of years. Scientists have recorded blue-green algae blooms dating back to the 12th century and they have documented the toxic effects to livestock for more than 100 years. However, it is possible that the frequency and duration of blooms are increasing in some Wisconsin waters as a result of increased nutrient concentrations. Nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, can be carried into water bodies as a result of many human activities, including agriculture, discharge of untreated sewage, and use of phosphorus-based fertilizers and detergents."
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If the algae reached the outlet of the crow river.. how long before it enters the Petewawa River just a few km's downstream?
Blue-green algae is naturally occurring and a normal part of the aquatic life. The danger occurs when there is a bloom, which is a rapid growth and is highly dependent on the availability of nutrients, sufficiently warm temperatures, and limited water movement.
Here is a link to an Ontario Government article on Blue-green Algae.
The article confirms that "Blue-green algae are microscopic, plant-like organisms that occur naturally in ponds, rivers, lakes and streams." and that "Blooms most commonly occur in late summer and early fall. They thrive in areas where the water is shallow, slow moving and warm, but they may be present in deeper, cooler water."
The Petawawa River would be an unlikely location for a blue-green algae bloom since it is fast moving - especially compared to a lake, and relatively cold.
Further, since blue-green algae is naturally occurring, there is no risk of the blooms in Dickson or Laveille "infecting" lakes further downstream as blue-green algae are already a natural part of those lake ecosystems.
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Even if its reach doesn't extend beyond Lavieille and Dickson (and I know Lavieille isn't a given at this point), that makes for a very difficult passage through that part of the park. There are no other lakes nearby other than tiny ones with 2-3 campsites. Getting a campsite on Little Dickson will suddenly be on par with trying to book Joe Lake for a long weekend.
I'm not suggesting the park has to "do something" - realistically there's nothing to do. But if the Spring flyover confirms Lavieille isn't (yet?) infected beyond Hardy's Bay, I'm definitely booking a couple nights there as soon as possible. This will be the third year in a row Dickson is unavailable for camping. It'd be a shame if Lavieille ends up shut down the for the next half decade. I'd like to go say 'so long for now' just in case!
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Just a heads up, they are now allowing 6 campsites on Lavieille to be booked. 
I think that's exactly how it was last year?
Last edited by ATVenture (3/11/2017 1:28 pm)
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Hmmm.. not sure how comfortable I would be drinking water out of that lake this year when it's surrounded by the bloom. Likely fine though.
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Oh my. That means I can book the extra punishing version of my spring trip if I want to. Decisions decisions.
Thanks for the heads up!
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Well I sure wish that MNR would figure out why these lakes are being infected with Blue-Green algae. The factors which would normally account for algae blooms should not be present in wilderness lakes.
The MNR and other research groups are definitely looking into it, the issue is that there are no simple fixes to these kinds of ecosystem-level changes. The first step into figuring out the root of the problem is to identify exactly which species of blue-green algae is blooming (which the Park has done) and to look into the sediment cores of Dickson Lake to see if there is any evidence of past algal blooms. Currently, I believe some graduate students are looking into the sediment cores, as I spoke with them about it during meet the researcher day in the Park last summer (I think they're from McMaster). But beyond these initial steps, there is really no past research to guide the way into a potential solution.
As already mentioned, blue-green algae are naturally occurring. They only bloom when some limiting environmental factor, such as phosphorous, temperature, or iron, becomes readily available such that the population is no longer limited. Because Dickson is a shallow lake for its size, increases in temperature and nutrients can have a relatively larger impact, then compared to deeper lakes such as Lavieille and Opeongo.
As far as I know, the only noticeable changes to Dickson Lake over our lifetime would be an increase in the average annual air temperature, and the north-ward spread of Cormorants (they now have an established island on Dickson). There is lots of evidence that algal blooms can be cause by both an increase in temperature and nutrients, so it is possible that the same thing is happening in Dickson.
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