PORT TOWNSEND — If nothing changes this week, Anderson Lake likely is to be opened on the first day of the statewide lowland lakes fishing season Saturday.
The lake has no visible algae bloom, and the first seasonal tests of the water found that algae-created toxins were way below danger thresholds, said Greg Thomason, Jefferson County environmental health specialist.
“It looks good so far,” Thomason said, adding that the status of the popular trout-fishing lake, which has a history of soaring toxin levels at times, could change quickly.
The decision to open the lake, which is in a state park near Chimacum, will be made by state personnel.
“As long as the second set of tests are clear as well, we’re going to be opening the lake,” said ranger Aaron Terada, assistant manager for the Fort Flagler area, Saturday.
Anderson Lake State Park — which is managed by Mike Zimmerman, who was unavailable for comment — is a satellite park of the Fort Flagler area, Terada said.
“The park will be open either way,” he added.
King County Environmental Labs reported Friday that it found no detectable levels of microcystin and extremely low levels of anatoxin-a in samples of water taken from Anderson Lake last Monday, Thomason said.
Microcystin can cause skin irritation and, if ingested over a period of many years, can result in liver failure, while anatoxin-a is a quick-acting nerve poison that can cause convulsions and death by respiratory paralysis.
If test results of the next sample, which will be taken this coming Monday, find that levels of toxins remain low, then it is likely that the lake will be opened on schedule, he said.
Tests of water in Gibbs Lake south of Port Townsend and Lake Leland north of Quilcene — both overseen by Jefferson County rather than state — were just as clean, Thomason said.
“The lakes are all clear,” he said.
The status of the lakes are noted on the Jefferson County Public Health website at http://tinyurl.com/6z64ofy.
Their status will be updated at the end of each week through October after test results have been received.
Recommendations may include posting “caution” or “warning” signs at lakes — or even closing them — if toxin levels are high.
Jefferson County Public Health has been collecting and submitting water samples from Lake Leland, Anderson Lake and Gibbs Lake since Memorial Day weekend in 2006, when authorities were alerted to the presence of algae toxins by the deaths of two dogs that drank water from Anderson Lake and were killed by anatoxin-a.
Funding is provided by a grant from the state Department of Ecology and local funds.
Toxins poisonous to birds and mammals are produced by certain species of blue-green algae at certain times.
The growth of the algae is thought to be fueled by warm, sunny weather when sufficient nutrients, such as phosphates, are present.
But researchers don’t understand why some species of blue-green algae begin to produce toxins, nor what makes them increase.
Anderson Lake closed a week before the end of the season last October because levels of anatoxin-a shot up to 6.58 micrograms per liter.
The recreational safety threshold for anatoxin-a is 1 microgram per liter.
Since 2006, the 70-acre lake in Anderson Lake State Park has been closed during parts of the warmer months because of dangerous levels of toxins.
Anyone who observes an algae bloom at a lake is urged to phone the Jefferson County Public Health Department at 360-385-9444.
For more information about lake quality in Jefferson County, visit the environmental health website.
No toxic blue-green algae has been reported in Clallam County, where health officers do not test for toxins. Instead, they visually monitor lakes for signs of algae bloom.
Algae blooms in Clallam County lakes should be reported to the Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services’ environmental health division by phoning 360-417-2258.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
