WALDPORT — The Oregon Health Authority has lifted the recreational-use health advisory it issued for Eckman Lake in September.
Water monitoring confirms levels of saxitoxin have fallen below recreational-guideline values for people, the agency announced Wednesday. However, levels detected are still above guidelines for dogs, and owners should keep pets away from the water.
Recreational users are advised to stay alert for cyanobacteria blooms because they can develop and disappear at any time when conditions are favorable, according to health officials. Only a fraction of water bodies in Oregon are monitored for blooms and toxins, so it’s important to become familiar with signs of a bloom, exposures and symptoms.
People and pets should avoid areas where water is foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green or blue-green, or if thick brownish-red mats are visible or bright green clumps are suspended in the water. If signs are present, health official advise avoiding activities that could cause water to be swallowed or inhaled in droplets, such as swimming or boating at higher speeds.
Cyanotoxins can still exist in clear water. When a bloom dies, toxins may reach clear water near the bloom. Blooms can also leave behind toxins. Some species of cyanobacteria can anchor themselves at the bottom of a water body and live in the sediment or grow on aquatic plants and release toxins into clear water.
For more information visit OHA’s Cyanobacteria (Harmful Algae) Blooms website.
