Buck Lake

Wetaskiwin County, Alberta

Managed by North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper

Blue Green algae advisory in effect. Click for more information.

Buck lake is found in Wetaskiwin county, 130 km southwest of Edmonton Alberta. It has 27 campsites on site. This lake is known as a power boating, water-skiing, canoeing, kayaking, wind-surfing, bird watching and fishing location. The lake is 9.3 km long, with a max depth of 12.2 m. In this lake there are walleye, northern pike, yellow perch and lake whitefish.

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WATER QUALITY

Failed to meet water quality standards
Special Status

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MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

Beaches are sampled on varying frequencies for Enterococcus and for cyanobacteria and microcystins (blue-green algae) during the summer months.

Water quality is monitored in accordance with the proposed Alberta Safe Beach Protocol, using the Environmental Protection Agency’s Recreational Water Quality Criteria.

Enterococcus is measured using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) based molecular method of testing recreational water. High Enterococcus levels can indicate fecal contamination which poses human health risks. Guidelines recommend that a water quality advisory be posted when the tests demonstrate calibrator cell equivalents (cce) surpassing 1,280/100ml.

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.
An advisory is rescinded once water quality meets the above standards.

In addition to Enterococcus, 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 https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/bga.aspx, circulated by local media. 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.

Swim Guide posts all advisories (enterococcus and blue green algae) that are announced. However Swim Guide is not able to share monitoring data for Alberta beaches on an ongoing basis as AHS does not share water quality test results with the public. Therefore, the swim icon will appear grey for monitored beaches due to a lack of public access to AHS recreational water quality data. Advisories will appear on the beach page as a special status red, with an ad.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH

Buck Lake

Wetaskiwin County, Alberta

Managed by North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper

WATER QUALITY

Failed to meet water quality standards
Special Status

For water quality icon legend, click:

MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

WATER QUALITY GRAPH

Beach	Location	Water Quality
Battle Lake Campground Wetaskiwin, Alberta	Wetaskiwin, Alberta	Special Status
Zeiner Park Beach on Pigeon Lake Mulhurst, Alberta	Mulhurst, Alberta	Current Status
Pigeon Lake Provincial Park Beach Wetaskiwin County, Alberta	Wetaskiwin County, Alberta	Current Status
Mission Beach on Pigeon Lake Mission Beach, Alberta	Mission Beach, Alberta	Special Status

Other Beaches Near This One

Beach	Location	Water Quality
Battle Lake Campground Wetaskiwin, Alberta	Wetaskiwin, Alberta	Special Status
Zeiner Park Beach on Pigeon Lake Mulhurst, Alberta	Mulhurst, Alberta	Current Status
Pigeon Lake Provincial Park Beach Wetaskiwin County, Alberta	Wetaskiwin County, Alberta	Current Status
Mission Beach on Pigeon Lake Mission Beach, Alberta	Mission Beach, Alberta	Special Status

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	Green means the beach’s most recent test results met relevant water quality standards.

	Red means the beach’s most recent test results failed to meet water quality standards.

	Grey means water quality information for the beach is too old (more than 7 days old) to be considered current, or that info is unavailable, or unreliable.

	Green means the beach passed water quality tests 95% of the time or more.

	Yellow means the beach passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time.

	Red means the beach failed water quality tests 40% of the time or more.

	Green means the beach has historically excellent or pristine water quality, but there is no current data.

	Red means the water at the site has water quality issues or there is an emergency.

	Grey means there is no current water quality information, the beach is under construction, there has been an event that has rendered water quality information unreliable or unavailable.