A southwest Kansas lake has been closed and two have been issued public health warnings due to blue-green algae blooms.
As the Topeka Capital-Journal reports, officials with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Thursday that Hodgeman State Fishing Lake, in Hodgeman County, was closed and Lake Scott State Park in Scott County and Sam’s Pond in Hamilton County were each issued public health warnings due to harmful algal blooms.
According to the University of Nebraska’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the algae blooms contain toxins that can cause nausea, fever, rashes, and in extreme cases, ulcers.
While fishing and boating may be safe in lakes under a public-health warning, KDHE advises that contact with the water should be avoided. Fish caught in blue-green algae-infested waters should be cleaned and only the fillet should be eaten.
Public health warnings were issued for eight other lakes around the state, including:
- Brown State Fishing Lake, Brown County.
- Hiawatha City Lake, Brown County.
- Marion County Lake, Marion County.
- Melvern Outlet River Pond, Osage County.
- Melvern Outlet Swim Pond, Osage County.
- Memorial Park Lake, Barton County.
- Lake Scott State Park, Scott County.
- Sam’s Pond, Syracuse, Hamilton County.
- South Lake, Johnson County.
- Webster Lake, Rooks County.
Overbrook City Lake in Osage County and Veteran's Lake in Cowley County are under public health watches.
