County lake still under algae warning

There was no respite for Marion County Park and Lake in Thursday’s weekly blue-green algae list. Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a warning for the lake for a fourth consecutive week.

A dozen Kansas lakes are under watches and warnings, but noticeably absent from the list is Marion Reservoir, clean for two consecutive weeks after a 10-week run of watches, warnings, and a week in which it was closed.

Patrons at the county lake should not come into direct contact with the water through swimming, wading, water skiing, or jet skiing. Fishing from boats, docks, and shorelines is permitted, but anglers should wash after contacting water and cleaning fish. Filets are edible, but other fish portions should not be used. Pets should be kept away from the water and shorelines where dried algae may be present.

Symptoms of exposure to algae toxins include skin irritations, breathing difficulties, coughing and sneezing, and gastrointestinal problems. Children 12 and under Persons displaying symptoms of exposure should consult a medical professional.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment tests lakes weekly and issues status updates on Thursdays.