Clark County Public Health is telling people to avoid water contact at Fallen Leaf Lake in Camas due to blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.
Public Health officials, responding to a report of a blue-green algae bloom, announced Monday that they had visited the lake and confirmed blooms near the bank at Fallen Leaf Lake Shelter, 2911 N.E. Everett St., and extending to the north.
The county is advising people to avoid direct contact with lake water in areas with floating blue-green-colored scum. Blue-green algae can produce toxins that are harmful to people and deadly for small pets that drink the water.
Health officials recommend:
- Avoid swimming and other activities where skin contact with the water is likely.
- Don’t drink lake water and don’t allow pets to drink it.
- Keep pets out of water in areas with blue-green scum.
- Stay away from areas of scum when kayaking or paddle boarding.
- Clean any fish caught in the lake thoroughly and discard organs.
Caution signs have been posted at Fallen Leaf Lake. Public Health will continue to monitor the lake as long as blooms are present. Signs will be updated as conditions change.
Additional information about blue-green algae and current advisories are posted on the Public Health public beach webpage. To report algae blooms in other bodies of water, visit the Public Health website.
Source: https://www.columbian.com