Toxins prompt warnings at Gibbs, Teal lakes.
By Jeff Chew, Peninsula Daily News
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"We are recommend that people who catch fish in these lakes don't eat them," said Neil Harrington, county Environmental Health water quality specialist.
Warning signs were posted at the lakes this week.
Results of tests from two other popular Jefferson County lakes, Leland and Anderson, show moderate concentrations of algae.
Both remain open for recreation.
"This weekend is going to be interesting, because we're going to see warm weather," said Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties.
No lakes in Clallam County have been tested or found to bear biotoxins. Clallam County officials conduct visual monitoring only, with plans to test only if higher levels of algae scum are reported.
Lab results from water samples taken Monday and returned from a Tacoma lab on Thursday show blue-green aphanizomenon, microcystis and anabaena algae are present in both Gibbs and Teal lakes "at concentrations that warrant a health advisory," the county said
Specific levels were not available on Thursday, Harrington said.
The county health department recommends closure of lakes when toxic levels reach more than one part per billion.
Algae have the potential to produce toxins that can cause liver damage or nerve impairment.
Anderson Lake, near Port Hadlock, and Leland Lake, a county park shared with privately owned frontage north of Quilcene, remain open to fishing for keepers and for swimming "as long as they stay away from the scum," Harrington said.
First closure for Teal
Gibbs Lake, a county park off West Valley Road near Chimacum, was closed in April 2007 but state-owned Teal Lake, which is west of Paradise Bay, has never been cited for heightened levels of blue-green algae, let alone shut down.
County health department officials have been collecting and submitting weekly water quality/algae samples from Leland, Anderson and Gibbs lakes to determine what species of algae are present and at what concentration.
Other lakes are sampled if they appear to be undergoing a blue-green algae bloom, Harrington said.
Blue-green algae tends to grow in warm weather and if biotoxin levels reach potentially dangerous levels county and state officials would have to discuss possible closure of other lakes.
Health officials have said that they don't know why the algae grows in Jefferson County lakes, the source of the nutrients fueling algae growth or the reason that benign blue-green algae will begin producing toxins.
Algae blooms, which occur naturally, are fed by an overload of nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorous. Possible sources of such nutrients include fertilizer or human or animal waste.
Anderson Lake was the first lake in Jefferson County to experience lethal levels of toxic blue-green algae.
Two dogs died from drinking Anderson's water in spring 2006.
Jefferson County Public Health maintains an updated database of lake monitoring information at www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org.
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Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: May 15. 2008 9:00PM