Lake Toxins and closings

[Weston]

Ok, I have heard a bunch about this last night and this morning.

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Toxin death - IN golf pond....

[John H. Moore]

Anyone have any further info or results of tests?

I've been trying to get info from City of Madison and Dane County Public Health folks on this...

Anyone had funny skin problems lately?

[FreediveWI]

They've reopened the beach.

I talked to my buddy about this, who tests the lakes as part of his job as a researcher working for the limnology department, and he wasn't too concerend.

According to him, the stuff is very bouyant and blows to the leeward side of the lake. The kid who died a couple of years ago was swimming in a cespool vat of the stuff- which we don't normally find while diving.

Also according to him, if you avoid those parts of the lake you will be fine- the stuff is very visable and only floats on the surface. It doesn't pollute the whole lake, just toxic to the things that ingest it while swimming in it.

The best example he gave was that of avoiding poision ivy while walking in the woods. Just because there is poision ivy in the woods doesn't make the whole woods toxic, but you don't want to find a patch of it and go rolling around naked either.

I hope to get out and dive in Mendota tomorrow night and won't be concerened about it when I do.

Jon

[Weston]

Toxic algae were found at five of six area beaches in recent tests, but the concentrations were not high enough to be considered a threat to people or animals.

The samples were gathered Wednesday by the Dane County Public Health Division from Governor Nelson State Park beach, Goodland Park beach in McFarland, Mandt Park beach in Stoughton, Maple Bluff beach, Lake Mendota County Park beach in Middleton and the city of Verona beach. At least one of the three species of toxic algae was found at all of the beaches except for Mandt Park beach in Stoughton.


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