The level of toxin in Anderson Lake has fallen, but the water is still lethal.
The lake, which was closed to all water recreation June 10 this season because of algae-created toxins, remains deadly, according to the latest test results, said Greg Thomason, Jefferson County environmental health specialist, Friday.
The closure doesn’t affect the 410-acre state park surrounding the 70-acre lake.
The park, which is between Chimacum and Port Hadlock, remains open for hiking, horseback riding, biking — all recreation not related to the lake.
Test results found 21 micrograms of anatoxin-a, a powerful and quick-acting neurotoxin, per liter of lake water.
21 times safe level
That’s way down from the 725 micrograms of anatoxin-a per liter discovered the week before, but it’s still 21 times the safe level of 1 gram per liter, Thomason said.
“It’s still dangerous in the lake,” he said.
Toxins are created by blue-green algae species. At times, it is benign, but at other times, it can produce poisons in the lake water.
Researchers don’t know why algae sometimes produces toxins.
Levels of toxins can vary drastically as algae blooms die off.
Although a long-term scum on a lake may appear to be the same bloom, actually it is a series of algae blooms, Thomason said.
Individual blooms die off every seven to 10 days. When a blooms withers, toxins decrease. A new bloom can immediately send the level skyrocketing.
Other lakes open
All other fishing holes in East Jefferson County are open.
A warning sign remains posted at Lake Leland, north of Quilcene, because of a heavy bloom of algae known to sometimes produce toxins.
The algae are benign, according to last week’s test, which found no anatoxin-a and a miniscule amount of microcystin, which can poison the liver over a period of ingestion of lake water.
However, the algae could begin producing toxins at any time, Thomason warned, and testing is always a week behind the fact, since samples are taken Mondays and results are received from King County Environmental labs Fridays.
“It could be putting out toxins as we speak,” Thomason said.
Caution signs remain at Gibbs Lake south of Port Townsend and Silent Lake on the Toandos Peninsula.
The toxin level in Gibbs, sampled last week, was the same as that in Leland, Thomason said.
Silent Lake probably will be tested this week, he added.
It’s safe to eat properly cleaned fish from Leland, Gibbs and Silent lakes, but no one should swim in the lakes or drink the water.
Sandy Shore Lake south of Port Ludlow near state Highway 104 remains clear, Thomason said.
Anyone who observes an algae bloom at a Jefferson County lake is urged to phone 360-385-9444 and inform the public health department, which posts information about lake quality at http://tinyurl.com/6z64ofy.
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 algae blooms.
Algae blooms in Clallam County lakes should be reported to the county Department of Health and Human Services’ environmental health division at 360-417-2258.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com
