Health officials are urging people to stay away from water that has been cited for toxic algae, and to alert officials if they see what may be the start of an algae bloom. House says an end date for the blooms is hard to tell and depends largely on the weather and the size and location of the bloom.
Here's the state's latest advisory on toxic algae blooms in Ohio lakes and reservoirs.
Three Harmful Algal Bloom Advisories Removed,
One Added; Sampling Continues
Due to the presence of algal toxins found within the water of a number of inland lakes across Ohio and Lake Erie, Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) are releasing a comprehensive list of updated sampling results for algal toxins including microcystin, anatoxin-a, cylindrospermopsin and saxitoxin. All state parks remain open.
REMOVED
Dillon State Park:
The advisory at Dillon Lake (Muskingum County) is being removed following a second consecutive week of toxin-free sample results. The most recent samples, collected from both the beach and marina on August 17, did not contain microcystin, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxin or anatoxin-a.
Lake Hope State Park:
The advisory at Lake Hope (Vinton County) is being removed following a second consecutive week of toxin-free sample results. The most recent samples, collected at the water’s surface and one foot below the surface at the park’s beach on August 15, did not contain microcystin, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxin or anatoxin-a.
Lake Loramie State Park:
The advisory at Lake Loramie (Shelby and Auglaize Counties) is being removed following a second consecutive week of toxin-free sample results. The most recent samples, collected from the park’s beach on August 16, did not contain microcystin, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxin or anatoxin-a.
ADDED
Mt. Gilead State Park:
An algal bloom was reported this morning at the lake. Samples have been taken and a cautionary advisory to avoid contact with the surface scum is being posted. There is little direct contact use of the lake as there is no swimming beach.
REMAINING
Maumee Bay State Park
Microcystin levels at Maumee Bay’s beach (Lucas County) last week were a very high 570 parts per billion (ppb), well above the World Health Organization guidelines of 20 ppb. Therefore, the toxin advisory remains in place. Saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin were not detected.
East Harbor State Park
The microcystin level at East Harbor beach (Ottawa County) was 3.2 ppb. Saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin were not detected.
Grand Lake St. Marys
Microcystin levels at the three Grand Lake St. Marys state park beaches (Auglaize & Mercer counties) and at the city dock near Pizza Hut ranged from 4.1 to 14 ppb, with the 14 ppb detection recorded at East Beach. Anatoxin-a levels also were down last week, with levels at all three beaches below 1.0 ppb. No saxitoxin was detected at any of the beaches or the dock near Pizza Hut, and only East Beach had a measurable level of cylindrospermopsin, at 0.062 ppb, just above the detection limit of 0.05 ppb.
Blue Rock State Park:
At Cutler (Blue Rock) Lake (Muskingum County), the August 16 samples collected from the beach and the algae mat and film did not contain microcystin, anatoxin-a, saxitoxin, or cylindrospermopsin. The campground and store at the park are now being supplied with water which is being trucked in, replacing the normal water supply. Drinking water is available at water fountains and the shower house in the campground has been re-opened. The park’s water treatment station was recently shut down after an algae bloom was observed in the lake which is the source for the park’s water supply.
Shawnee State Park (golf course pond):
At Shawnee State Park (Scioto County), the August 11 samples collected from the golf course irrigation pond, which is not connected to other bodies of water at the park, did not contain anatoxin-a, saxitoxin, or cylindrospermopsin. The State is awaiting further analysis of the samples to determine the presence of microcystin.
SUMMARY OF ADVISORIES:
No Contact Advisory: Avoid any and all contact with and ingestion of the lake water. This includes launching watercraft on the lakes.
Grand Lake St. Marys
Blue Rock State Park
Toxin Advisory: Avoid contact with any algae and direct contact with water.
Burr Oak State Park
East Branch Reservoir
LaDue Reservoir
Maumee Bay State Park (Lake Erie bloom)
Bloom Advisory: Cautionary advisory to avoid contact with any algae.
Alum Creek (park office pond)
Deer Creek State Park
Delaware State Park (unnamed pond)
East Harbor State Park (Lake Erie bloom)
Jackson Lake
Lake Alma State Park
Mount Gilead State Park
Shawnee State Park (golf course pond)
Because toxin levels can fluctuate, the State will continue sampling from the lakes. Advisories will remain in effect until there have been two consecutive weeks of non-detection for anatoxin-a, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin and two consecutive weeks of microcystin below 20 ppb (set by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the upper end of the moderate-risk range for contact with microcystin). There are no WHO standards for the other toxins.
Additional information and data on Harmful Algal Blooms is online at:
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