20 February 2009

Lake closures to be enforced this weekend

| johnboy
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After last weekend’s comic efforts to close the lake for health reasons the National Capital Authority has announced that it’s having another go.

    Water test results today show that the levels of blue green algae that caused the lake to be closed last Thursday remain high in some areas of the lake.

    The NCA has asked the Water Police to enforce the below lake closures.

    The following areas of Lake Burley Griffin are closed for recreation uses that involve any contact with the water, such as swimming, bathing, canoeing, boating or rowing:

    — East Basin
    — Central Basin

    Recreation activities in which the user comes into direct contact with the water, such as swimming is prohibited in the following areas of Lake Burley Griffin:

    — West Basin
    — West Lake (including swimming areas at Lotus Bay and Yarralumla Bay)
    — Tarcoola Reach (including swimming areas at Black Mountain Peninsula and Weston Park)
    — Yarramundi Reach

    For the period 21-26 February 2009, secondary contact recreation (boating, rowing etc) in West Basin, West Lake, Tarcoola Reach and Yarramundi Reach is permitted but the public are advised to avoid deliberate contact with lake water and to take precautionary measures such as fresh water-wash down following any accidental contact with lake water.

    Water features and irrigation systems that rely on water from Lake Burley Griffin will remain off until algae levels are at an unacceptable level.

Also the Canberra Times is the real winner with an add ad to be placed as extra posterior protection.

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According to these rules the rowing carnival would have been OK.

Clown Killer8:53 pm 20 Feb 09

Before people come rushing back to vent their spleen about yet more private school boaty types flaunting the closures, it seems that the Girls Grammar School will be holding their regatta this coming weekend with the imprimatur of the NCA.

How they manage pedestrian traffic on the shared paths will, no dout be another story.

Clown Killer said :

Is fishing off limits?

If the blue-green algae thing keeps up you’ll be able to just pick them up as you walk along the shore.

With the inevitable mutations they will probably climb out of the lake and congregate on the paths abusing any hapless cyclist who dares to attempt to pass through the mutant carp regatta.

Clown Killer7:51 pm 20 Feb 09

Is fishing off limits?

If the blue-green algae thing keeps up you’ll be able to just pick them up as you walk along the shore.

Vic Bitterman7:09 pm 20 Feb 09

Is fishing off limits?

They were yelling “AHHH….IT BURNS….IT BURNS…” but I thought it was just some newspeak that an old fart like me didn’t get.

Woody Mann-Caruso6:42 pm 20 Feb 09

Those weren’t kids – they were mutant fish trying to make their way back to shore.

So I was wondering, if in teh event that the lake is fully “closed” does the NCA give any kind of compensation/disbursement to any of the small business operators on the shores of the lake, thinking mainly of north western shore i.e. bike hire people, paddle boat people.

Also does closing the lake include canceling the HM Southern Cross boat use as well, as that would generate airborne particles that may prove hazardous to the occupants of the boat.

Anyone know ?

At about 3.30pm this afternoon I was crossing Commonwealth Ave Bridge and looked out onto the lake. There were about six pedal boats all together with kids/teens jumping off them, climbing back on, and jumping again.

I wonder if the boat hire guy had not given them advice of any warning.

I ever make typos. 🙂

leahcim said :

“an add”??? hmmmm…

For God’s sake!

Let he who hath never made a typo cast the first stone!

You got anything of substance to ad?

“an add”??? hmmmm…

We could give it a rating system one to five dead dogs. Five being the most toxic.

They have surf reports down the coast, why not alagae reports on the radio and tv here?

I don’t know which is worse, cyanobacterial poisoning or forcing the community to read the Canberra Times for their own safety.

So we have to buy (and read) the CT (ugh!) to find out if the lake is toxic, and if we’re found using the lake on a toxic day, we’re subject to police move-along or enforcement action?
And aren’t there only two Water Police boats on the lake, anyway?

“will remain off until algae levels are at an unacceptable level.”

??????

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