June 02, 2006

• Recreational water quality was excellent at 52 of 56 beaches monitored this week by Manitoba Water Stewardship including beaches on Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba, in the Whiteshell and Birds Hill areas, and others.

• On Lake Winnipeg, water quality was within recreational water quality guidelines at most beaches monitored including Victoria, Albert, Hillside, Lester, East Grand, West Grand, Patricia, Grindstone, Gull Harbour, Gimli, Sandy Hook, Winnipeg, Blacks Point and Matlock.

• Levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were above the recreational water quality guideline at Hnausa, Spruce Sands and Sandy Bar beaches on Lake Winnipeg on May 29. Exceedance of the guideline of 200 E. coli/100 mL was likely caused by weather conditions when high winds and waves led to bacteria being washed out of beach sand and into the water. On Lake Winnipeg, weather and lake level information appear to be good predictors of E. coli bacteria levels. Strong northerly winds that cause waves and push water levels higher tend to cause E. coli bacteria levels to increase.

• Hnausa, Spruce Sands and Sandy Bar beaches were re-sampled on June 1 and results will be posted when they become available later this evening. When calmer weather returns, E. coli bacteria levels typically fall quickly to below guideline levels.

• Levels of E. coli bacteria were also above the recreational water quality guideline at the Lake Minnedosa beach on May 30. Exceedance of the recreational water quality guideline was likely caused by large numbers of birds that were observed on the beach. Historically, levels of Escherichia coli bacteria are very low at the Lake Minnedosa beach. The Lake Minnedosa beach will be re-sampled on June 2 and results will be posted when they become available on June 4.

• Results for all beaches across Manitoba are posted as they become available on Manitoba Water Stewardship’s website at http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship.

• Testing of other beaches in the province will be phased in as summer approaches. Results from over 60 beaches will be available at the peak of the testing period.

• Extensive sampling for E. coli in beach sand and water on Lake Winnipeg is underway again this year and follows from the work done in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

• Extensive research has shown that wet sand underlying a number of Lake Winnipeg beaches contains E. coli bacteria that can be washed into beach water when water levels rise and flood beaches.

• Advanced testing known as DNA ribotyping is being used to identify sources of contamination. Results over the last several years indicate that approximately 50 per cent of the sand and water samples could be attributed to shorebirds and geese, while 36 per cent of the samples could not be matched to a source. Only seven per cent of the samples could be attributed to human activity.

• Advisory signs will be posted at Hnausa, Spruce Sands and Sandy Bar beaches today. Due to fluctuating levels of E. coli bacteria, these beaches will remain posted for the summer.

• Most swimmers will not become ill when E. coli bacteria levels are elevated above the recreational water quality guideline. However, the possibility of illness increases with rising levels of bacteria.

• Manitobans can safely enjoy the province’s plentiful beaches and are advised to keep a few things in mind when at the beach:

- avoid swallowing lake water when playing or swimming;

- wash your hands before handling food;

- avoid swimming with an open cut or wound, or if you’re experiencing illness; and

- reduce exposure to the lake water if water levels are high and the wind is coming from the north.

• All beaches remained free of nuisance blooms of algae during the week of May 25 to 31.

• The Lake Winnipeg watershed is nearly 1,000,000 square kilometres in size and is the second largest in Canada. The watershed includes parts of four provinces and four United States.