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NEWS RELEASE
A joint release from the
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Date: May 28, 2004
For more information, contact
Brian McManus (NDEQ) (402) 471-4223
Kathie Osterman (HHS) (402) 471-9313
Jim Swenson (NG&PC) (402) 471-5499
State
Closes Beaches at Fremont Lake 20 Due to Toxic Algae Alert;
Hanson Lake 4 Also on Alert; Conditions Improve at All Other
Identified Lakes
Test results from a popular state recreational
lake, Fremont Lake 20, show toxins at a level that is considered
hazardous for full-body contact. Therefore, the state is issuing
a Health Alert and advises the public to stay out of the water
until the toxins subside. This alert will be effective through
the Memorial Day weekend, and likely will continue for one
to two weeks.
The Nebraska Department of Environmental
Quality first sampled the lake on Monday, May 24. Initial
results on Thursday afternoon indicated a likelihood of potentially
hazardous levels of the toxins. More detailed analysis this
afternoon (May 28) confirmed that the samples at both the
east and west beaches of the lake exceeded the state threshold
for issuing a Health Alert -- 15 parts per billion of the
toxin Microcystin.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human
Services therefore issued a Health Alert, and, because this
is a state recreation area, the Nebraska Game and Parks announced
temporary closure of the lake’s two swimming beaches
on Lake 20. The public is requested to avoid all contact with
the water of Lake 20 until toxin levels are determined to
be below 15 ppb. The state is also urging the public to pay
particular attention to small children and pets, to make sure
they don’t come in contact with the water. Signs will
be posted at the lake’s swimming beaches to inform the
public they are closed until further notice.
“While deaths and serious illnesses
from exposure to this algae have been rare, exposure to toxins
at the levels we are currently seeing as a result of the drought
have not been commonly encountered,” said Dr. Richard
Raymond, the state’s Chief Medical Officer, Nebraska
Health and Human Services System.
Samples that were taken at two other lakes
in the Fremont Lakes system seem to indicate that the problem
is not widespread through the lakes. Samples of both had extremely
low levels – Fremont Lake 9 had a reading of 0.21 ppb,
and Fremont Lake 10 had a reading of 0.07 ppb. These levels
are within acceptable levels for full body contact and, therefore,
swimming beaches in both lakes will remain open for public
use.
While Fremont Lake 20 will be closed to
full body contact activity, pleasure boaters and anglers may
continue to use the lake, with the understanding that they
should take care to protect themselves from direct exposure
to the water. Fish taken from Lake 20 may be safely consumed,
provided anglers do not eat the fishes’ liver or pancreas.
“It is unfortunate that this naturally-occurring
toxic algae has impacted Fremont Lake 20 just before the Memorial
Day weekend,” said NDEQ Director Mike Linder. “However,
we can take some encouragement from the results we are seeing
at other lakes where toxic algae has occurred. It appears
that, within a week or two of the dissipation of a toxic algae
bloom, the levels of toxins in the water subsides dramatically.”
NDEQ will take additional samples at Fremont
Lake 20 on Tuesday, as well as other recreational lakes in
the area, including Victory Lake, Louisville Lake and Two
Rivers Lake. The state will continue taking samples periodically
at any lake that tests higher than 2 ppb for toxins.
One other lake given Health Alert designation
As a result of sampling of other lakes on
May 24 and 25, all but one have been downgraded from a Health
Alert to a Health Advisory status. However, Hanson Lake 4
had readings of 15 ppb and has been given Health Alert designation.*
As with Fremont Lake 20, the state advises the public to stay
out of the water at Hanson Lake 4. All of the other lakes
that were tested in the Hanson Lakes system, as well as several
other lakes, had low readings of toxins and all have been
downgraded to low-risk Health Advisory status. The advisory
status means that toxins are present, but below levels that
the state considers unsafe for full-body contact.
Some caution is still advised for those
lakes, however. If it appears that algae is recurring, avoid
contact with the water. As is always the case with Nebraska
lakes, don’t drink the water. Below is a list of lakes
that were sampled on May 24 and 25, and the amount of toxins
detected in the samples.
|-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------|
| Lake Name | PPB | Lake Name | PPB | Lake
Name | PPB |
|-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------|
| Hanson Lake 2 | 3.96 | Buccaneer Bay |
0.62 | Arends Pond | 0.42 |
|-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------|
| Linder Lake | 0.40 | Woodcliff Lake |
0.08 | Villa Springs | 4.90 |
| (east) | | | | | |
|-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------|
| Sailboat Lake | 0.05 | Bellevue Rod &
Gun| 6.03 | Wa-Con Da | 0.07 |
| | | (south lake) | | | |
|-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------|
| Mormon Island SRA| 0.07 | Mormon Island
SRA | 0.74 | Windmill SRA | 0.01 |
| (beach) | | (southeast side) | | | |
|-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------|
| Beaver Lake | 0.11 | Schramm Pond SRA
| 0.32 | | |
|-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------+-------------------+---------|
Tests results from the previous week (from
samples taken May 19), also showed low levels at Hansen Lake
3 (0.08 ppb) and Chris Lake (0.11).
NDEQ will continue taking periodic tests
at these sites to ensure that the toxins continue to subside.
The public is advised to avoid contact with the water at any
lake that has a large algae bloom. Although it is likely a
non-toxic variety of algae, it is best to avoid taking chances,
considering the unusual problems Nebraska has experienced
this year.
What to look for:
Toxic blue-green algae is similar in appearance
to regular, non-toxic algaes, which occur frequently in water
bodies across the state. Toxic algae’s appearance can
be a pea green, blue-green or reddish brown color, and there
may be a scum, foam or a thick mat on the water surface. It
can exhibit blue-green streaks and have a disagreeable odor.
The toxic strains of blue-green algae can occur under the
right conditions of sunlight, temperature and nutrients in
the water.
Algae blooms can appear quickly, and dissipate
quickly. However, the toxins can remain in the water after
the algae bloom has dissipated, and the hazard can re-occur
if another algae bloom later appears, officials said. Therefore,
residents of the impacted lakes should not assume that a clear-looking
lake necessarily means that the problem is permanently gone.
* Hanson Lake 4 was misidentified as Hanson
Lake 1 in a news release issued May 21. Hanson Lake 4 is located
immediately northeast of Hanson Lake 3.
Fact sheets and updates are available
at DEQ’s web site: www.deq.state.ne.us
and at HHS’s web site: www.hhs.state.ne.us
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