Health district warns of blue-green algae toxin in lake

MOSES LAKE — Grant County Health District on Friday announced it had found concerning levels of a toxin associated with blue-green algae in Moses Lake. The district said it has posted warning signs around the lake. The district advises avoiding contact with Moses Lake water areas, including recreation; not drinking the lake water; keeping animals away from lake water; and cleaning fish from the lake well and discarding the guts.

After receiving reports from residents, GCHD collected samples from Moses Lake on June 22, suspecting a blue-green algae bloom. The samples came back with toxin levels higher than the state recreational guideline of 6μg/L for microcystin toxins. The samples were collected from Blue Heron (106μg/L) and Connelly parks (190μg/L), GCHD said.