Huge thanks to the lovely Helen Cooke for posting a notice on Ralphie’s wall on Facebook – alerting dog walkers and lake users to the potential dangers at Caldecotte Lake, Milton Keynes, at the moment. The cuplrit? Blue-green algae.

It sounds harmless but the Environment Agency has confirmed that blue-green algae is present within the north and south lakes at Caldecotte and is advising dog walkers to keep their pets out of the water. Ralphie’s never swam at Caldecotte Lake (pictured) but it’s a lovely spot for a stroll.

A notice posted by the Parks Trust reads: “Algal blooms can be harmful to both people and animals. Blue-green algae produces toxins and anyone coming into contact with it should seek medical advice. Blue-green algae occurs naturally in rivers, lakes, ponds, estuaries and the sea.

“Excess nutrients cause the algal blooms when the rapid increase in the number of algae leads it to rise to the surface of the water. Blooms can look like paint, jelly or form small clumps and may be blue-green, grey-green, greenish-brown or reddish brown in colour. Blooms can occur over a matter of days or weeks and are often dispersed by a change in weather conditions.”

For further information visit the Environment Agency website.

Picture of blue-green algae by Mark Sadowski via Flickr under Creative Commons licence