HEALTH ALERT UPDATE

August 27, 2004

Five Lakes on Health Alert Due to High Toxins
Lemoyne Bay at Lake McConaughy, Maskenthine Added

Lincoln – Lemoyne Bay at Lake McConaughy and Maskenthine Reservoir near Stanton have been added to the list of lakes that are under a Health Alert for toxic blue-green algae. Health alerts also continue for Pawnee Lake, near Emerald, Iron Horse Trail, near DuBois; and Carter Lake. (Carter Lake, located north of downtown Omaha, is partially in Nebraska and Iowa, and officials from both states have issued a joint alert.)

In addition, three lakes have been removed from Health Alert status as a result of sampling taken Monday, August 23. Wagon Train Reservoir near Hickman, Swan Creek Reservoir 5A near Tobias, and Wedgewood Lake in Lincoln, were removed from the list.

Officials from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission emphasized that it is only the Lemoyne Bay area of Lake McConaughy that is under a Health Alert. Readings at other areas sampled in the past two weeks have been low and not considered a health risk. At Pawnee Lake, Iron Horse Trail, Maskenthine Reservoir and Carter Lake, full-body contact activities, including swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, sailboarding and tubing, are prohibited for the entire lakes. At Lake McConaughy, these restrictions apply only to Lemoyne Bay. The rest of Lake McConaughy continues to be open to the full range of recreational activities.

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 in those areas where a Health Alert has been issued. Recreational boating and fishing are permitted in those areas, 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.

Samples will be collected again at all of these locations on Monday, August 30, and the analysis of these samples should be available on Friday, September 3.

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