CITY OF BARRIE – The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) has lifted the precautionary advisory it issued on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, advising residents and visitors to Kempenfelt Bay in the City of Barrie.
CITY OF BARRIE – The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) has lifted the precautionary advisory it issued on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, advising residents and visitors to Kempenfelt Bay in the City of Barrie.
Blue-green algae blooms naturally occur in freshwater lakes, bays and inlets, usually during warmer weather. They thrive where water is shallow, nutrient-rich, slow moving and warm, but may also be present below the surface. Generally, cooler weather, rainfall, and reduced sunshine will lead to the breakup of an algal bloom.
The best method for managing algal blooms is prevention. Decreasing the amount of nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrogen, entering the water source can limit their occurrence and severity. This means using phosphate-free detergents, not using fertilizers on lakefront properties, taking steps to impede agricultural run-off, and ensuring that septic systems do not leak into the water source.
Conditions on the lake will continue to be closely monitored.
For more information about blue-green algae visit smdhu.org/algae.
