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SUNNY Temp: 78 °F Wind: SSE at 5 mph Friday, August 1, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 18, 2003 Algae has Diamond Lake at a standstill By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Swimmers and water-skiers will remain beached at Diamond Lake at least another week as a toxic algae bloom continues to plague recreation and water quality there. After reviewing updated algae counts triggered by the lake’s unwanted tui chub fish, Umpqua National Forest officials opted to keep the water-contact restrictions in place at the popular trout-fishing lake since July 1. Swimming, wading and water-skiing remain closed through Thursday and visitors are urged to keep their pets away from the water. Boating and fishing remain open, and anglers are encouraged to rinse their hands after contact with the water. There is no risk in eating cooked rainbow trout caught there, health official said. Advertisement But the specter of a tainted lake continues to keep crowds away from this southwest Douglas County lake that normally draws hordes of visitors from Medford, Roseburg and Eugene. Despite a $184,000 fish-stocking program to provide big trout that can survive the lake’s chub infestation, anglers are keeping Diamond Lake off their radar screens. "I’m looking out my window and there should be a couple hundred boats out there," Diamond Lake Resort’s promotions manager, Rick Rockholt, said Thursday afternoon. "At this moment, I see two boats on the lake. "We’re down $12,000 a week from last year," Rockholt said. "That’s 12 to 15 percent of our business." The microscopic blue-green Anabaena flos-aquae algae is toxic and has grown to unhealthy levels each of the past three summers. The blooms are blamed on millions of unwanted tui chubs, which feed on the zooplankton that historically have kept the toxic algae in check. Ingestion of the toxins can cause numbness, tingling sensations and nausea in people, but no known deaths have been attributed to it. It can be fatal to pets, especially dogs that gulp large quantities of water. Water sampled Monday showed a range of 28,917 algae cells per milliliter of water, Umpqua Forest spokeswoman Rhonda Buxton said. The Forest Service enacts the swimming and wading bans when levels hits 15,000 cells per milliliter, and a full ban on boating kicks in when levels hit 100,000 cells per milliliter. The algae tends to dissipate during cool, windy days but grows under hot, and windless conditions. "It’s really ironic that the nice summer days that we all like are terrible for the lake," Rockholt said. More samples will be taken Monday, and the results will be available July 24, Buxton said. The samples must be shipped to a lab at Wright State University in Ohio, one of a handful of labs that conduct these tests. The 80-year-old resort, which is owned by about two dozen stockholders, is the third oldest resort on Forest Service land in Oregon. Its restaurant, cabins and marina have been on the market the past two years for about $15 million, Rockholt said, and has collected nary a sniff from potential buyers. "Who wants to buy a resort on a dying lake?" Rockholt said. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times