HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Allegan County health officials are warning people about suspected blue-green algae or a cyanobacterial bloom in Cheshire Township’s Swan Lake.
Visitors to the area and people living near Swan Lake are encouraged to avoid water-related activities and keep pets from drinking the lake water, especially where the bloom is visible, until testing for toxins is complete or the bloom dissipates.
Summer is peak season for these types of algal blooms, appearing Michigan typically during periods of warm temperatures, lots of sun, and high nutrient levels.
It’s impossible to see whether or not an algal bloom has harmful toxins, which is why health officials are urging people to avoid contact with water where algal mats or significant rafts of algae are visible.
County health officials issued the following recommendations:
- Avoid areas with scummy water in the lake or with water that looks like spilled paint or has a green sheen to it. These scums may contains flecks, foam or clumps.
- Avoid water-related activities in areas where the bloom is visible. Individuals that have skin contact, swallow large amounts, or play in the water are susceptible to illness. Read more here.
- Keep pets from drinking or playing in the lake water. Symptoms of illness from cyanotoxins often appear quicker in animals than in humans – sometimes in minutes to a few hours. Symptoms in animals can include vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, staggered walking, excessive salivation, convulsions, erratic behavior, or physical distress. Dogs should be thoroughly rinsed off or bathed with fresh water after contact with water that may contain algae, even if it’s not toxic algae.
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