PRESS RELEASE
issued jointly from the
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services – Division of Public Health
Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Contact

Allan Urlis, Office of Communications, DHHS
  (402) 471-6858 (office); allan.urlis@nebraska.gov
Jerry Kane, Game and Parks Commission, (402) 471-5008
Amanda Woita, Public Information Office, NDEE
  (402) 471-4243; amanda.woita@nebraska.gov
Nathanael Urie, Public Information Office, NDEE
  (402) 471-4245; nathanael.urie@nebraska.gov
For Immediate Release
September 14, 2018

Health Alert Issued for Kirkman’s Cove-
Alerts Continue at Iron Horse Trail Lake, Willow Creek Reservoir, Rockford Lake



The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Kirkman’s Cove Lake in Richardson County. Alerts continue at Iron Horse Trail Lake in Pawnee County, Willow Creek Reservoir in Pierce County and Rockford Lake in Gage County.

Samples taken earlier this week at Kirkman’s Cove were above the state’s health alert threshold of 20 parts per billion (ppb) of total microcystin (a toxin released by certain strains of blue-green algae.) Alerts are still in effect at Iron Horse Trail, Willow Creek and Rockford Lake because levels were high last week. Lakes that are on health alert must have two consecutive weeks of readings below the threshold before the alert is discontinued.

When a health alert is issued, signs are posted to advise the public to use caution, and designated swimming beaches are closed during the alert. Recreational boating and fishing are permitted, but the public is advised to avoid activities that could involve accidental ingestion of water and to avoid full immersion in water. Do not let pets get in the water or drink from the lake. People can still use the public areas for camping, picnics and other outdoor activities.

Weekly sampling has been conducted at 50 public lakes in Nebraska since the beginning of May. The lakes will continue to be monitored weekly throughout the 2016 recreational season. Sampling results for toxic algae and bacteria will be updated every Friday and posted on NDEQ’s web site,
http://deq.ne.gov.

(For more information about potential health effects of harmful algal blooms, what to look for, and steps to avoid exposure, please refer to the attached Fact Sheet. To view the weekly data for the lakes sampled, go to https://deq-iis.ne.gov/zs/bw/.)