WALDPORT – The Oregon Health Authority issued a recreational-use health advisory Thursday for Eckman Lake due to a cyanobacteria bloom.
The agency said the bacteria poses a danger to human and animal health and that people should avoid swimming and other water activities where blooms are present. Risk of illness is most often caused by ingesting affected waters but people with sensitive skin may get a puffy red rash.
The agency issued a similar notice last September and ended it in mid-November after fall rains.
The lake is safe for activities such as fishing, camping, hiking, biking, picnicking, bird watching, canoeing and kayaking, according to OHA.
Children and pets are at increased risk because of size and activity level, the OHA said. Dogs can get extremely ill and even die within minutes to hours of exposure to cyanotoxins.
Toxins cannot be removed by boiling, filtering or treating water with camp-style filters, the notice said. And not all private treatment systems can effectively remove cynotoxins. People who may draw water directly from the area are advised to use an alternative water source.
Fish caught where cyanobacteria blooms are present may pose health risks and the OHA advised not to eat them.
The OHA said symptoms from exposure range from stomach cramping, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting to numbness, tingling, dizziness and shortness of breath, and may require medical attention. Dogs can experience weakness, difficulty walking, seizures, lethargy and loss of appetite. If a dog exhibits symptoms, veterinary treatment should be sought immediately.
Having own property and lived on Eckman Lake for the past 50+ years, the algae problems keeps getting worse. My contention has always been that during the winters the biosolids that are being dumped on property with 500-700 feet of the lake wash into the lake causing the algae blooms. My land actually covers 8 acres of the south end of the lake which is now a wetland. In the 60’s and 70’s there were no wetlands, all lake deep enough to have waterski boats. Now we have willow and alder growing where the lake once was. The state needs to do a comprehensive water analysis of Eckman Creek all year round which will show that during the winters these biosolids wash into the lake via Eckman Creeks and several other creeks that feed the lake. These solids contain super saturated amounts of nitrogen which cause the bloom and the eutrophication of the lake.