By D.Ernes – Lake Management Committee

There have been additional reports of pets encountering active blooms resulting in illness and in some cases death. It is useful to remind people of the risks to our for-legged friends.

First, these reports are talking about exposure to toxins that can be released from cyanobacteria [CB], which most people refer to as blue-green algae. As an organism, CB has been around as long as water has been on earth. It is present in a great many lakes in Ohio including ours. But why is this an issue with dogs?

Unlike us, dogs cannot read beach warning signs, or e-blasts and have no issues drinking water that has green swirls in it. The EPA website says “When in doubt, keep pets out”. Additionally, dogs (and other animals as well) may be more susceptible to the toxins that can be present. The most common toxin, microcystin, can cause liver damage that can be fatal in dogs. Here are some things that you should know.

1. This is not something new. There have been reports of animal deaths related to ingestion of lake water as early as 1878. It has become very visible in our 24/7 news environment.
2. Symptoms of exposure include: diarrhea, vomiting, drooling, weakness, seizures and breathing difficulties to name a few. If you notice these symptoms, take your pet immediately to the vet. Exposure can be fatal after a few hours to several days depending on the size of the pet and the quantity ingested. There is no cure, but treatments have been shown to be successful.
3. The Veterinary Merck Manual indicates that the greatest effect is from ingestion of a concentrated bloom. The amount of water ingested that can be fatal can vary from a few ounces to several gallons. For those of you with a health background, it states that the toxins have a steep dose-response curve where as much as 90% of a lethal dose can be ingested without measurable effect.

I have been unable to find any references regarding exposure limits for pets to toxins like there are for humans. So, if you see that there is a bloom on the surface of the water (often seen in the early hours of the day), keep your pet away from it. If they go in, don’t panic. Just get them out, rinse them off and keep an eye out for symptoms. If you send them outside, make sure they drink clean water before they go out, so that they are not thirsty. Have clean water available to them when they are outside, so they are not tempted to drink from the lake. Take care of our furry friends and …

BE LAKE (And PET) RESPONSIBLE

This past week, a major rain event interfered with our recent attempt to treat the lake. Working with AquaDoc, we will be trying again to do the first half treatment on August 21. Unfortunately, we will not be able to treat the entire lake before the Labor Day holiday. As such, we have decided to treat the northern half of the lake first. This is because a significant amount of the in-lake activities occurs in the northern half. Because of EPA requirements, the southern half of the lake will not be treated before the holiday weekend. We had this same split treatment schedule for the first treatment the end of June with the northern half delayed until after the Fourth holiday.

With sections of the lake untreated for the Holiday weekend, everyone needs to be vigilant and avoid contact with any area showing signs of blue-green algae (swirls of green similar to paint). Please note that the copper algaecide is effective for blue-green algae but may not eliminate the filamentous green algae completely. We will send an update once we have a plan for the southern half.

*Please note that should these plans change; we will let you know as soon as possible. 
 
1) The lake level will be lowered to comply with the Ohio EPA requirements for this application. We hope to only lower it 2-4 inches. Please adjust your boat tie downs to accommodate the water level change. 
 
2) Please turn off all fountains or other devices that agitate the lake water in the application area on Monday AM. They may be turned back on Wednesday, August 23.
 
3) The application will be applied during the day of August 21. 
 
4) Please refrain from any activities on the lake, including boating, jet skis, etc, starting Monday August 21 to allow the treatment to be effective and to spread in a predictable manner. Boat traffic may resume on Wednesday, August 23.  The boat ramp will be closed from Monday AM until Wednesday AM.
 
5) While the lake is deemed safe following the application, we are closing the beaches Monday August 21, and reopening them on Friday, August 25, as a precautionary measure. Swimming and other activities involving direct contact with the lake should be avoided during this time. While unlikely, if you observe any undisposed product (a powder with a bluish tint), avoid direct contact and let the office know where it is observed.
 
6) Do not water your property with water from the lake during this period.

7) If you live in the southern end of the lake, please avoid contact with any active blooms until it can be treated.
 
While these steps may be inconvenient, they are necessary to insure the best chance for a successful application.

8/16 Update: Treatment Update

The heavy rains last night prevented us from lowering the lake sufficiently to allow the treatment to proceed. Our EPA permit requires that no water is flowing over the spillway. Therefore, we will be postponing the first half treatment until next week. All restrictions have been lifted. However, since we are observing active blue-green algal blooms, use caution when on the lake and avoid direct contact with an active bloom. Stay safe.

We have noticed the reappearance of blue-green algae. As such, it is important that everyone avoid contact with an active bloom. It is unfortunate that this happened so quickly, but we will try to get the lake treated before the Labor Day holiday. We will need your help and patience. Please note that the algaecide is effective for blue-green algae, but may not eliminate the filamentous green algae completely.
 
We are scheduling the first half of the whole lake algal treatment for Wednesday, August 16.  This will include the northern end of the lake. The following steps will be done during the first treatment. *Please note that should these plans change, we will let you know as soon as possible. 
 
1) The lake level will be lowered to comply with the Ohio EPA requirements for this application. The valve is expected to be opened tonight. Please adjust your boat tie downs to accommodate the water level change. 
 
2) Please turn off all fountains or other devices that agitate the lake water in the application area on Wednesday AM.  They may be turned back on Friday, August 18.
 
3) The application will be applied during the day of August 16. 
 
4) Please refrain from any activities on the lake, including boating, jet skis, etc, starting Wednesday August 16 to allow the treatment to be effective and to spread in a predictable manner. Boat traffic may resume on Friday, August 18.  The boat ramp will be closed from Wednesday AM until Friday AM.
 
5) While the lake is deemed safe following the application, we are closing the beaches Wednesday, August 16, and reopening them on Saturday, August 19, as a precautionary measure. Swimming and other activities involving direct contact with the lake should be avoided during this time. While unlikely, if you observe any undisposed product (a powder with a bluish tint), avoid direct contact and let the office know where it is observed.
 
6) Do not water your property with water from the lake during this period.
 
7) If you live in the southern end of the lake, please avoid contact with any active blooms until it can be treated.
 
While these steps may be inconvenient, they are necessary to insure the best chance for a successful application. The northern half of the lake will be treated in two weeks. A notice will be issued once it has been scheduled.