State Issues Warning For 3 Lakes in Kansas

State officials have prohibited skiing, swimming and wading in three lakes because of concerns about high levels of toxic blue-green algae.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued the warning Thursday for:

LOGAN CITY LAKE, Phillips County

MARION RESERVOIR, Marion County

MEMORIAL PARK LAKE (Veteran’s Lake), Barton County

When a Warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

  • Humans, pets and livestock do not drink lake water
  • Water contact is prohibited. Avoid swimming, wading or other activities with full body contact of lake water
  • Clean fish and rinse with clean water, consume only the fillet portion, and discard all other parts
  •  Do not allow pets to eat dried algae
  • If lake water contacts skin or pet fur, wash with clean potable water as soon as possible
  • Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation

Skin contact can cause allergic reactions. Ingesting the infected water can cause diarrhea, vomiting and even death. Animals can die from drinking too much water affected by the blooms.

In the last couple of years the toxic bloom sickened more than a dozen people in Kansas last year and killed at least five dogs.