Week ending 15 March 2013

Health Advisory

There are no current advisories on the taking and consumption of fish and seafood in the Gippsland Lakes.

Recreation and Water Quality

No change from last week's update. 

Algae are naturally occurring organisms present in all waterways. The Gippsland Lakes contain many different types of algae at varying levels as part of the natural environment and balance of the Lakes system.

Weather conditions, nutrient levels, salinity and water flows all affect the levels of algae and can contribute to the formation of algal blooms on the Lakes.

Please be aware of algae in isolated pools in Macleod's Morass. Further details can be found on the Parks Victoria website. 

No toxic blue-green algae species have been detected in the Gippsland Lakes. 

Location	Species	Algae levels	Potential toxin producer	Recreational alert
Lake Wellington		Low		No
Lake Victoria		Low		No
Lake King		Low		No
Jones Bay		Low		No
Nungurner		Low		No
Box's Creek		Low		No
Wattle Point		Low		No
Bunga Arm, east of Ocean Grange in the Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park		Low		No

This is the final Weekly Update for this season. Monitoring of algal levels will continue. The Gippsland Lakes Algae Weekly Update will restart on the first week in December 2013. 

If an algal bloom develops on the Gippsland Lakes, information (factsheets and maps) will be available on this website and www.gippslandlakes.net.au with details about that bloom and how it might affect you.

News about algae can also be found in Media releases.