2021-07-10- Water Temperature Spike at Pigeon Lake

This year, Alberta’s record-breaking heatwave at the end of June caused temperatures to spike in July. This resulted in the July 12th, 2021, fish kill.

The lake temperature high for the day was observed to be 24.02 C.

This is when the natural process of warmer temperatures near the surface of a body of water combines with an increase in algae that sucks oxygen out of deeper water at night to kill off fish. The heat dome that formed over Pigeon Lake created the conditions earlier and in greater number than past years observed.

Link to 2021, Pigeon Lake water temperature data HERE.

Fish Kill photo provided by PLWA Archives