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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend July 1, 2006 Algae turns lure of the water into a risk By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune During their routine Monday inspection of Diamond Lake's most popular swimming area, Umpqua National Forest officials spied a fluorescent substance floating on the surface. Was it just pine pollen, which blows into the High Cascades lake each June? Or was it the beginning of an Anabaena flos-aquae outbreak like the ones that left the lake toxic to humans and pets three out of the last five summers? Forest technicians took water samples, sent them off to a private lab and prepared to act once the results became available Thursday. "If it were Anabaena flos-aquae, we were ready with advisory signs and a press release if we needed it to warn the public," says forest hydrologist Mikeal Jones. The results? "It was all pollen," Jones says. But the exercise is becoming more common throughout Oregon as lake managers, health experts and lake-users together begin addressing what toxicologists are calling an emerging public-health issue across the country. The so-called blue-green algae wasn't even on the radar screen five years ago when the first big toxic bloom hit Diamond Lake, but it since has become part of the summer lexicon of lake managers and users who look actively for blooms. It once seemed to strike out of nowhere — first at Diamond Lake in 2001, later in Lake Selmac in Josephine County, and this past week at Lost Creek Lake, where the lake's first-ever test revealed some of the highest concentrations seen in Oregon this decade, health officials said. County, state and federal waterway managers routinely are looking for signs of blooms, even in lakes where the algae-like bacteria never has been detected. Public swimming areas are being surveyed for signs of the Anabaena flos-aquae, which can produce toxins that can cause skin rashes or be extremely dangerous — even lethal — to children or pets that ingest or inhale it. If blue-green algae is found, managers post public-health advisories recommending that people avoid contact with the water. Lost Creek Lake visitors have been advised to wait at least through the Fourth of July. Similar recommendations are posted at Laurelhurst Park Pond in Portland. An advisory was lifted June 22 at Hills Creek Reservoir in Lake County after 20 days. "It's certainly got our attention and has gotten on our radar screen," says David Stone, the state Department of Human Services toxicologist who has drafted public-health guidelines for dealing with toxic blooms. "I'm sure there's tons of waters it occurs in that we've never known," Stone says. "I'm sure there's public-health effects happening that we haven't known about." The hint of an algae bloom seen Friday at Lake Selmac near Selma prompted Josephine County parks officials to post notices and schedule a test of the water on Monday, says Rich Halliday, the county's property facilities manager. Signs warning people of the algae also have been appearing regularly at trailheads to some backwoods lakes warning backpackers that they cannot filter or boil out the toxins. The Forest Service now looks for algae signs regularly at Applegate Lake, where no blooms have been detected in the lake's history. The result is that more anglers, water skiers and swimmers know now to steer clear of scummy water in Southern Oregon, where there have been at least five Anabaena flos-aquae outbreaks since 2001. No mass sickness or fatalities from blue-green algae have been reported, however. "Public health's primary responsibility is to inform the public of risk," Stone says. "But I think there's some public responsibility to put this on their radar, especially when kids and pets are in the picture. There's a lot of common sense here. Turbid waters should be avoided." Algae blooms are a common phenomenon in warm, stagnant and nutrient-rich waters from golf-course ponds to deep-water reservoirs such as Lost Creek Lake. Many of the algae look alike, but it is the Anabaena strain that produces toxins that can result in rashes, numbness, dizziness, and in extreme cases, death. While Lost Creek Lake's water was tested for the algae, it was not tested for the toxins, Stone says. "We don't know if it's producing toxins," Stone says. "It likely has. It could be quite high. It could be quite low. We don't know." Blooms can last anywhere from a few days to several months. Stone recommends no contact with algae-laden water for two weeks after the bloom ends. When the algae dies, it can release its toxins into the water, where it can float invisible to swimmers, who see only clear water, he says. "That's the problem, because the water looks so inviting," Stone says. "Finally, after four days of camping the water looks great and the kids want to jump in. But it may not be (safe)." Health officials recommend no contact with algae-bloom water for people or pets. Those who do have contact should wash thoroughly with soap and water. Eating fish during a bloom also can pose a health risk. "All the guidelines are to prevent accidental ingestion of it," says Jones, the Umpqua Forest hydrologist. "The worst you can do with Anabaena flos-aquae is to drink it or inhale it. If a kid takes a gulp or your pet drinks it, it could be deadly. "It may not happen often, but it does happen and the consequences are high," Jones says. Jones acknowledges that the Umpqua Forest's routine testing, which costs about $150 apiece, is considered "kind of the extreme" and stems from the lake's recent history. "You can't test all the waters all the time," he says. "So people need the information so they can protect themselves." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Casino Reviews