PORT TOWNSEND — Anderson and Leland lakes remain public health threats with toxic blue-green algae blooms that prohibit recreational use, a Jefferson County Environmental Health official said last week.
“Based on data just in, I will not be making any changes regarding advisory levels at our lakes,” Neil Harrington, county water quality manager, said Friday afternoon after results of tests of water samples taken on Monday were reported.
“Just as a review, Anderson is still scummy, toxic and closed. Leland is at warning [red sign] and Gibbs is at caution [yellow sign].”
A red “warning” status, marked by a sign at the Anderson and Leland lakes, means that the lakes have high levels of potentially toxic blue-green algae — more than 100,000 cells per milliliter of water.
A red warning sign means that the lake is closed to recreational use, including fishing and swimming. No one should drink the water. Boiling it or treating it will not destory the toxin.
Small children and people with liver problems, such as chronic hepatitis, are most at risk.
Although the lake is closed, Anderson Lake State Park remains open to all recreation not involving the lake, including hiking, biking and horseback riding.
A “caution” sign means that the lake has moderate levels of potentially-toxic blue-green algae species, between 30,000 and 100,000 cells per milliliter of water.
Recreational use is OK, so long as fish are cleaned with organs and skin disgarded, small children and pets are kept out of the water and no one drinks the water.
Exact micrograms per liter counts of anatoxin-a — a fast-acting neurotoxin that can cause convulsions or even death in animals and humans — in the lakes were not available Friday, but Harrington said that Leland remains a lesser threat than Anderson in this regard.
Lakes clear
Sandy Shore Lake, from which the county is also taking water samples for weekly lab testing, remains clear, Harrington said.
So do Crocker, Teal and Tarboo lakes.
Lake samples are not tested in Clallam County, where health officers visually monitor lakes for signs of algae bloom. No cautions or warnings have been issued in Clallam County.
Anderson Lake, located off Anderson Lake Road about a mile west of Chimacum, was closed in June 2006 after two dogs were killed from ingesting the water and one nearly died after experiencing a seizure.
Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, is present in most bodies of water and usually causes no problems for humans or animals.
But when the right conditions align — the water is calm, relatively warm and overly rich in phosphates, a chemical commonly found in lawn fertilizers — it can bloom into high concentrations.
Blue-green algae toxicity levels flared up in Lake Leland three weeks ago, forcing Jefferson County Public Health officials to downgrade the lake to a warning notice to discourage swimming and consuming fish caught in the lake.
Lake Leland’s algae bloom is composed of several species of blue-green algae of the genera oscillatoria, aphanizomenon and microcystis.
Anderson Lake continues to have a bloom made up predominately of blue green algae of the genera microcystis and anabaena, which produces anatoxin-a.
Jefferson County Public Health is continuing seasonal sampling of recreational lakes for toxic blue green algae.
County researchers also are collecting samples for nutrient analyses and physical data to determine possible causes for the blue-green algae blooms in a study funded with a $45,000 state Department of Ecology grant.
The county health department expects to complete the study early next year, Harrington said.
Water samples are taken from the lakes on Mondays and tested at King County Environmental Labs. The results are routinely released to the public on Fridays.
Jefferson County Public Health maintains an updated database of lake monitoring information at www.jeffersoncountypublic health.org/.
The department can be reached at 360-385-9400.
Algae blooms in Clallam County lakes should be reported to Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services environmental health division at 360-417-2258.
________
Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
