Multiple Kansas lakes declared unsafe to enter, here’s why

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas health officials say more than a dozen lakes and ponds across the state may be dangerous to enter as they contain harmful blue-green algae.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported in a press release on Friday, Aug. 29 that multiple lakes and ponds have potentially harmful amounts of blue-green algae and harmful algal blooms (HABs). The KDHE ranks bodies of water at a watch, warning or hazard level depending on the severity of the blue-green algae presence.

Warning

• Atchison City Lake #9, Atchison County.
• Atchison County Lake, Atchison County.
• Atchison State Fishing Lake, Atchison County.
• Fossil Lake, Russell County.
• Frazier Lake, Grant County.
• Gathering Pond, Geary County.
• Hodgeman State Fishing Lake, Hodgeman County.
• King Lake, Lyon County.
• Lake Afton, Sedgwick County.
• Melvern Outlet River Pond, Osage County.
• Melvern Outlet Swim Pond, Osage County.
• Peter Pan Park Pond, Lyon County.
• Wooster Lake, Lyon County.

Watch

• Butler State Fishing Lake, Butler County.
• Eagle Lake (Bel Aire), Sedgwick County.
• Lake Shawnee, Shawnee County.
• Marion County Lake, Marion County.
• Mission Lake, Brown County.
• Ottawa State Fishing Lake, Ottawa County.
• Pratt County Lake, Pratt County.
• River Pond (Tuttle Creek State Park), Pottawatomie and Riley Counties.
• Rock Garden Pond, Shawnee County .
• Wilderness Lake (Overland Park), Johnson County.

The KDHE said that blue-green algae can appear as foam, scum or paint floating on the water’s surface and be colored blue, bright green, brown or red. People, pets and livestock who come into contact with water containing high levels of the algae may experience skin irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sore throat and a headache depending on the nature of the exposure.

You can learn more about blue-green algae by heading to the KDHE’s website. You can also watch an informative video about blue-green algae by clicking here.

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