Toxic algae bloom at Lake Lawrence prompts advisory to avoid contact with water
People are warned to stay out of Lake Lawrence after Thurston County Public Health and Social Services confirmed a toxic algae bloom in the lake near Rainier.
Lab results received Wednesday from a sample collected Monday showed the bloom was producing unsafe levels of the toxin microcystin, according to the department’s announcement. Microcystin is a liver toxin, Jane Mountjoy-Venning, a senior environmental health specialist for the county, told The Olympian Thursday.
A concern is that a liver toxin can be cumulative, she said, adding to other damage caused by, for example, alcohol and painkillers.
Levels at the Lake Lawrence sample site were found to be more than five times the state’s advisory level: 43 micrograms per liter, versus the advisory level of 8 micrograms per liter.
The county health department is working with state and community entities to post signs stating the lake is closed, according to Mountjoy-Venning. The state manages the public fishing area at Lake Lawrence, and other entities control community access points.
The health department will continue to test the lake and will lift the advisory once samples drop to safe levels, according to the county’s announcement.
What to do if you see algae
Ongoing advice, Mountjoy-Venning said, is that today’s green, slimy algae can become toxic tomorrow for “reasons not yet understood.” To be safe, it’s best to report algae to the health department and for people and pets to stay away, she said, because there’s always a delay between when a sample is taken and results return.
To report algae, call 360-867-2626 or send an email by clicking on the link on this county web page: https://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehadm/swimming/blue_green_algae.html.
This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 9:02 AM.
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