County monitoring Lake Lawrence for algae

Thurston County Public Health workers are monitoring water samples at Lake Lawrence in south Thurston County to determine whether algae is a health threat.

A sample collected Sept. 23 at the Fish and Wildlife boat launch was low enough that a health advisory was not issued. A sample taken Oct. 5 at the Scenic Shores boat launch is still being tested.

Residents are asked to call if algae scum is present on the shoreline. Samples can be collected in a clean glass jar, labeled and refrigerated for pickup.

People are advised to avoid contact with the lake water in areas with visible algae or algae scum on the surface. When fishing, it is safest to catch and release any fish caught during a toxic algae bloom.

For more information, call 360-867-2626.

This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 9:01 AM with the headline "County monitoring Lake Lawrence for algae."