Advisories issued for Ohio waterways
Toxic algae a worry at Grand Lake St. Marys, Kiser, Buckeye Lake.
Ohio lakes face the threat of toxic algae again this summer as six bodies of water have already posted advisories warning swimmers to take caution or stay out altogether.
Advisories have been issued for beaches at Kiser Lake in Champaign County, Grand Lake St. Marys in Auglaize County and Buckeye Lake near Columbus in Fairfield County.
The warnings indicate that an algae bloom has been detected, according to the state. The number of algae health advisories issued so far this year is comparable to this
time in 2016, said Eric Heis, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Three other bodies of water, including Lake Erie and the Little Miami River in Clermont County, have also issued non-algae related warnings for bacterial contaminations in water.
Officials test water for microsys-tin, a toxin produced by the algae. Any level detected higher than 6
parts per billion prompts a health advisory, state officials said. If detected levels reach 20 ppb, the health department recommends residents avoid all contact with the water, according to informa
tion from the state. A public health advisory for Kiser Lake was posted Friday due to high levels of microsystin. ODNR conducted a sampling at the lake and found levels of about 11.7 parts per billion, according to information from the state’s Beach Guard website.
The Kiser Lake advisory is the
second most serious and recommends children, pregnant or nursing women, pets and people with medical conditions should avoid swimming, according to the state. Friday’s warning marked the second time in recent years that an advisory had been posted at the popular recreational site.
The highest warning, an “elevated advisory” has been given to Grand Lake St. Marys in Celina and at Buckeye Lake near Columbus. An elevated advisory recommends that people avoid all contact with water as “algal toxins at unsafe levels have been detected,” according to the state. An advisory for Buckeye Lake was issued on June 16 while Grand Lake St. Marys’ warning was issued at the end of May 2016 and has not yet been lifted, according to the state.
No illnesses have been reported from algae blooms so far this year from state waterways, something Heis attributed to partnerships between state agencies to monitor and advise on algae levels. Environmental regulators are in the midst of doubling efforts to decrease algae blooms in Lake Erie by consolidating the groups that oversee the reduction of it.
A proposal brought by Gov. John Kasich and approved by the legislature last week would put the Ohio Lake Erie Commission in charge of making sure the state reaches a goal of 40 percent reduction of phosphorus going into Western Lake Erie within the next 10 years.
Ohio and nearby states have tried to reduce algae by asking farmers to take voluntary steps to prevent fertilizer from flowing into Lake Erie’s tributaries. But, the AP reports that environmental groups doubt those voluntary measures will be enough to prevent dangerous algae blooms that threaten drinking water and wildlife.
The state is also working with communities and private companies to address water quality issues and study algae blooms, Heis said. The efforts to cut down on algae ramped-up over the past few years after a bloom contaminated drinking water for 400,000 people in the Toledo area.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration produces predictions for Lake Erie, but no inland lakes or waterways.
Algae blooms in Lake Erie are expected to come close to 2014 levels again, but lower than in 2015, according to NOAA projections. A final seasonal forecast will be made July 13, according to the NOAA.
It’s difficult to predict how bad algae blooms will be from year to year, so the state pushes its Beach Guard website to keep swimmers notified of any changes.
“As for expectations, it is very hard to predict what may happen from one lake to the next as there are multiple contributing factors,” Heis said. “Again, ‘know before you go’ by looking up Ohio Beach Guard.”