QUILCENE – Lake Leland remains closed to swimming, while Anderson Lake State Park in Port Hadlock is still closed to all public access.
Jefferson County Environmental Health officials say the latest water test results continue to show dangerous levels of toxic blue-green algae in both lakes.
“In Anderson Lake, anatoxin and microcystin are still present, but not as high,” said county Environmental Health Director Mike McNickle, adding that the lake’s water quality was still “bad news.”
Friday’s water lab test results for Leland were the same as the previous week when the news broke about toxic blue-green algae being found in the popular recreational lake for the first time.
Fishing and boating are still allowed at Leland, north of Quilcene, McNickle said Friday.
All fish caught in the lake should be cleaned thoroughly, he said, and lake users should not allow pets any contact with the water.
Algae of the genus aphanizomenon and the toxin microcystin is now present in Leland at levels that warrant the health advisory.
Microcystin is a hepatatotoxin that can cause liver damage and gastrointestinal distress through ingestion and a rash known as “swimmer’s itch” through skin contact.
The toxins found in Anderson are deadly, however, and were the cause of death for two dogs that drank the water there more than a year ago.
