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Rikki Wilson, a livestock and feed extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, stands at her water quality demo booth during Ag in Motion in Langham on July 16, 2025. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)
WATER SAFETY

‘Prime time’: Sask. ag specialist breaks down the good and the bad of summer algae blooms

Jul 17, 2025 | 4:56 PM

As temperatures climb and water sources across Saskatchewan warm up, conditions are ripe for algae to flourish — both the helpful kind and the potentially deadly.

“Prime time for some of these more dangerous species,” said Rikki Wilson, a livestock and feed extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.

“Some of them do push their way into the fall, so all summer long until things freeze, you want to keep your eyes out.”

While most algae are harmless, Wilson said some blooms, especially blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), can pose serious risks to livestock, pets, and even humans.

“You’ll know you might be dealing with blue-green algae if the water really stinks, we say it smells like a pig pen almost,” she said.

“Your water might look like pea soup. It could be really bright green or really dark green…or it could look like tiny grass clippings or fingernails in the water with a green colour to them.”

Blue-green algae/Cyanobacteria. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

Wilson said there are a few simple ways producers can check for danger. If the algae sticks to your hand like scum or slips completely through your fingers, it could be toxic. A jar test can also help: if the algae stays suspended in the water column, that’s a warning sign.

Ingesting contaminated water can lead to illness or death in livestock and every year, Wilson said, the province sees a few tragic cases.

“We definitely recommend people stay vigilant about checking their water sources.”

The ministry recommends treating dangerous blooms with copper sulfate — often sold under different brand names. But Wilson cautions that any product used should be approved for use in water and applied according to label directions.

“If you’re getting confused about the math, like I know sometimes the units can get pretty difficult. You can always call the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and we can get you in touch with someone who can help you out there and figure out exactly how much needs to be put into the water.”

The Ministry offers free water testing for livestock producers at its 10 regional offices, with lab work done through a partnership with the Roy Romanow Provincial Lab in Regina. Wilson said they’re also working with researchers at the University of Regina to identify genetic markers in toxic algae — part of a long-term goal to create a quick, on-farm test strip for producers.

The good ones

While toxic algae dominate the conversation, Wilson said there’s a whole side of summer algae that’s often overlooked and actually helpful.

Species like filamentous algae and duckweed aren’t dangerous, she said, and actually serve an important role in aquatic ecosystems.

“They sort of work as filters, so they are beneficial to the good bacteria in the water [and] they help feed them, ” Wilson explained.

“So if you get rid of them, you could throw the natural balance of the water system off and you’d have a higher risk of seeing some of those more dangerous species popping up.”

Duckweed and Watermeal. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

Even some lesser-known species, like Euglena, which can appear as bright lime green or even blood red, may look alarming but aren’t known to be harmful to livestock in Saskatchewan.

Wilson’s advice: when in doubt, take a photo or sample and call your regional livestock specialist. And as summer stretches on, don’t underestimate what might be growing in your slough.

“Blue-green algae likes heat,” she said. “So if it’s still hot outside, there’s still the potential there, so I mean, never say never.”

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com