The latest blue-green algae alert for Lake Albert has prompted calls for Wagga City Council to reassess the position of ultrasonic buoys which were supposed to prevent algae from blooming on the lake.
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Wagga City Council installed signs at Lake Albert on Monday morning advising people and pets to avoid swimming, drinking or otherwise coming into contact with the lake's water until further notice.
Wagga Sailing Club commodore Garry Williams said he was alarmed at the most recent algal outbreak given a La Nina summer had delivered mild summer weather and plenty of rain to top up a relatively full lake.
"Up until now, the community (was) starting to regain faith ... and enjoy the fact that the lake is of value to them," he said. "It's just sad that even though we think that we've got a pretty full lake, we've now got problems that we thought might have been to some degree overcome."
Solar-powered buoys using ultrasound technology to control algae levels have been in use on Lake Albert since December 2018, but Mr Williams said the buoys were not in their original position and Council needed to revisit whether they were being used to full effect.
"Whether those buoys will fully do the job or not, I don't know," he said. "I just know that they're not being given a full opportunity from where they've been situated."
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Wagga councillor and Boat Club commodore Mick Henderson said the buoys had been effective so far but he would be discussing the issue with his fellow councillors in the coming weeks.
"There are three more of the sonar [buoys] in the four knot zones out there," he said. "They may have to be repositioned out into the lake to be more effective."
Cr Henderson said water quality had been "as good as it's ever been" in recent months and the latest alert had come as a surprise.
With events such as the annual outboard challenge and Barry Carne water ski races coming up, he said increased algae levels would "affect the whole community."
"We certainly can't afford the lake to be in a closed position for those events," he said. "That's what generates money in the economy here."
Cr Henderson said he would be following up on council's agreement with the NSW government to top up Lake Albert with a pipeline from the Murrumbidgee River.
Garry Williams said the sailing club will look at the health guidelines and consider whether the increase in algae levels will affect the remainder of their season.
"We don't want to see activities brought to a halt because there's an algal bloom in a lake that's otherwise full enough for activity," he said.
He said managing algae levels was an ongoing issue and the lake's recreational users would continue to work with council to find long-term solutions.
"It's part of a journey," he said. "We're not at the end."
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