Lake among state’s first for new type of algae advisory

A special, apparently more serious algae advisory was issued Friday for Marion County Lake. UPDATE: The advisory was not renewed this Friday, but an algae watch in place since July 4 was.

State announcement of the advisory did not specifically mention problems caused by wakeboarding but seemed to imply a relationship.

The lake is now under what the state is calling a “harmful algal mat advisory” The Kansas Departments of Health and Environment and Wildlife and Parks term this “a new and evolving health concern” related to toxic blue-green algae.

Algae mats are colonies of blue-green algae that form at the bottom of a lake, become disturbed, detach from the lake bottom, and float freely on the lake, possibly washing ashore.

Algae mats may contain both toxic blue-green algae and other, non-harmful green algae along among other aquatic vegetation.

The county lake is the only the third lake in the state to be placed under a harmful algal mat advisory and is the only lake currently under such an advisory.

The most significant risk from algal mats occurs from ingestion, contact, or disturbance of mat material, particularly by small children and dogs, the state says.

The state recommends that lakes impacted by an advisory post signs warning:

• Not to allow people or pets to eat mat material or ingest lake water.
• Not to touch or contact mats during recreational activities, especially such things as swimming or skiing.
• Skin that contacts mat material should promptly be washed with clean water.
• Not to transport mat material to other bodies of water.
• Check with the Department of Wildlife and Parks for procedures to be followed for cleaning boats and other equipment used in the lake before using them in another body of water.

The lake also remains, as it has been since the Fourth of July weekend, under a blue-green algae watch for new algae blooms.

It’s one of nine lakes statewide to be placed under a watch Friday. Fourteen others were placed under more serious algae warnings.

Marion Reservoir is not among the bodies of water facing any sort of algae advisory.

A news release from the state appeared to indicate that the county lake was the first ever for this advisory. However, county officials later said that two other lakes previously had been placed under similar advisories.