JUNCTION CITY, Kan.— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Milford Lake, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism are actively responding to harmful algal bloom concerns with site-specific sampling.
Based upon sampling results and established health risk levels, KDHE has issued a warning at Zone C in the upper section of Milford Lake.
A warning means that high levels of toxic blue green algae have been detected. This warning indicates that water conditions are unsafe, and direct water contact (wading, skiing and swimming) should not occur. Current concentrations of algae in these waters exceeded the KDHE recommended level of the algae toxin microcystin for recreational water use.
When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:
- Do not drink lake water
- Avoid swimming, wading or other activities with full body contact of lake water
- Clean fish well, consume only the fillet portion and discard all other parts
- Keep pets from having contact with or drinking lake water
The parks, marinas and lakeside businesses around Milford Lake are open for business as usual, including camping and other recreational activities. The drinking water and showers are safe and not affected by the algae bloom.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to monitor the blue green algae blooms and will provide updates as conditions warrant as well as toxin test results as conditions change on the lake.
More information on algae blooms including up-to-date conditions can be found online at www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm.
Release no. 20-112