HEALTH ALERT UPDATE

A joint release from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services – Regulation and Licensure Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

August 13, 2004

Contact
Brian McManus, Department of Environmental Quality, (402) 471-4223 Kathie Osterman, Health and Human Services System, (402) 471-9313 Jim Fuller, Game and Parks Commission, (402) 471-5550

Five Nebraska Lakes on Health Alert; Carter Lake Receives Joint Alert
Fremont Lake 20, Hanson Lake 4, Conestoga Removed from Alert Status

Lincoln – Five lakes in Nebraska are currently on Health Alert for toxic blue-green algae, and the states of Nebraska and Iowa are also declaring a joint alert for Carter Lake. (The town of Carter Lake is in Iowa, but the lake itself is partially in Nebraska, north of downtown Omaha.) Alerts have been removed at Fremont Lake 20, Hanson Lake 4 and Conestoga Reservoir, but sampling will continue at these lakes.

Health Alerts are in effect for the following lakes, due to high readings of blue-green algal toxins in samples taken Monday, August 9:

· Pawnee Lake, near Emerald;
· Swan Creek Reservoir 5A, near Tobias;
· Wedgewood Lake in Lincoln;
· Iron Horse Trail, near DuBois;
· Wagon Train Reservoir, near Hickman

Wagon Train Reservoir demonstrates that the toxic algae situation can be persistent and can recur after levels have subsided, state officials said. This lake was on alert two weeks ago, and was downgraded from a health alert to an advisory status when Aug. 2 readings indicated a low health risk. However, Wagon Train Reservoir again exceeded the Health Alert threshold of 15 parts per billion for the toxin microcystin in samples taken Aug. 9.

Officials from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said they will continue prohibitions against full-body contact including swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, sailboarding and tubing at state facilities that are under Health Alert status. 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. Recreational boating and fishing are permitted, as long as the public makes sure to avoid situations that could possibly involve the ingestion of water. People can still use the areas for camping, picnics, and other outdoor activities. Game and Parks officials suggest that anglers practice catch-and-release fishing, as the toxins created by the algae can accumulate in the organs of fish. These restrictions will continue until the state finds that all sampling locations at these lakes are below the state’s threshold for declaring a Health Alert.

The states of Nebraska and Iowa are issuing the same prohibitions and precautions at Carter Lake. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will contact Carter Lake officials to post signs at the lake’s public recreation areas, and officials of both states are contacting the media and informing the public of the situation. Iowa and Nebraska officials will continue to conduct coordinated sampling efforts at this lake.

Toxins have subsided at Fremont Lake 20 (7.71 ppb), Conestoga Reservoir (9.15 ppb), and Hanson Lake 4 (7.14 ppb) and these sites have been downgraded from a health alert to the lower risk advisory status.

Samples will be collected again at all of these locations on Monday, August 16, and the analysis of these samples should be available on Friday, August 20.

Readings were low at other lakes that had been sampled this week. Other sites sampled this week, and their toxin levels were: Red Willow Reservoir (7.2 ppb), Maloney Reservoir (3.98 ppb), and Alexandria State Recreation Area West Lake (3.73 ppb) and East Lake (2.3 ppb). Readings were 0 (below detectable levels) at: Branched Oak Lake, Bluestem Reservoir, Christopher Cove near Columbus, Holmes Lake Dog Run (Lincoln), and the lake located by Interstate 80 at the Maxwell interchange.

NOTE: 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