Sylvan Lake Provincial Park Beach

Sylvan Lake, Alberta

Managed by North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper

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Sylvan Lake Provincial Park Beach is on Lakeshore Drive in the Town of Sylvan Lake. The provincial park is the strip of land between Lakeshore Drive and Sylvan Lake. This wonderful, sandy beach with clear, shallow waters has all of the amenities required for a day at the beach within walking distance. This is THE beach for Central Alberta. Very popular with all ages and a hangout for boaters as well. There are grassy areas, picnic tables, volleyball nets and great people watching opportunities. The area has been upgraded with better parking and day use facilities. The boat launch and marina are close by as well on the southwest end of the beach. Arrive early on weekends for best parking and spots. This is not a pristine setting but a great "scene" for younger people and safe, shallow waters for families. The Sylvan Lake Stewardship Association has been very active in promoting and preserving the clear, clean waters of Sylvan Lake.

Sylvan Lake was originally given the Cree name "kinabik" or Snake Lake because of the abundance of Garter snakes in the area. This was changed to Sylvan (latin "of forests") in 1903.

WATER QUALITY

Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on . North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

For water quality icon legend, click:

CURRENT WEATHER

6°C

A mix of sun and clouds

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MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

This site is usually sampled on a weekly basis for thermotolerant coliforms and at varying frequencies for cyanobacteria and microcystins (blue-green algae) during the summer months.

Water quality is monitored in accordance with standards outlined in a previous version of the General Nuisance and Sanitation Regulation, under Alberta’s Public Health Act. New standards are currently being developed.

Thermotolerant coliforms serve as an indicator of faecal contamination, which poses a human health risk. Guidelines recommend that a water quality advisory be posted when tests for thermotolerant coliforms over the preceding 30 days produce results with a geometric mean greater than 200 colony forming units per 100 millilitres of water (200 CFU/100ml). An advisory may also be issued when any single sample exceeds 400 CFU/100ml, although this may first lead to further investigation.

When a Water Quality Advisory is issued, a notice is erected at the beach indicating that the location is unfit for swimming or bathing. In addition, a Water Quality Advisory is issued through the AHS website, local media, and Swim Guide. Swim Guide posts all advisories that are announced, but due to data sharing challenges, is not able to make updates when test results are within the guidelines. Therefore, the swim icon will appear grey, and any posted advisories will appear on the beach page. An advisory is rescinded once water quality meets the above standards.

In addition to thermotolerant coliforms, AHS monitors blue-green algae throughout the swimming season. Algal blooms are monitored through visual observation and through testing for cyanobacteria and microcystins (toxins produced by blue-green algae).

AHS issues a Blue-Green Algae Advisory when a bloom is identified. Advisories are posted online to www.albertahealthservices.ca/1926.asp, circulated by local media, and posted to Swim Guide. Appropriate signage is posted around the water body (public beaches, access points, campgrounds, etc). These advisories remain in place for the duration that the health risk persists.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH