Lake Afton under blue-green algae warning
Authorities have issued a public health advisory urging people and pets to stay out of the water at Lake Afton so they don’t get sick from harmful blue-green algae.
The 258-acre lake, west of Wichita on MacArthur, is the latest in the state to receive a blue-green algae warning, which means the substance is expected or present at unsafe levels.
During a warning, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says people and animals should avoid direct contact with water, including swimming, wading, skiing, boating, jet skiing and fishing.
People should also avoid areas with algae blooms, clean fish well before eating them and keep pets, livestock, children and others from eating dried algae or drinking untreated lake water, the KDHE says.
If you or a pet is exposed, wash immediately with clean, potable water. Anyone who suffers from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, irritated eyes, seizures, breathing problems or other unexplained illnesses after exposure to contaminated water should seek treatment immediately, the KDHE says.
Blue-green algae is a type of bacteria that lives in the warm, nutrient-rich water of many lakes but can quickly grow and become dangerous under the right conditions. Blooms often are blue, bright green, brown or red and look like scum or paint floating on the water’s surface. Typically they smell musty or like petroleum or sewage, and the bacteria can produce fatal toxins.
Authorities take water samples from lakes each Monday and report testing results each Thursday.
You can check on Lake Afton’s current status at www.sedgwickcounty.org/parks/lake-afton-park or call the lake office at 316-794-2774.
You can report new blue-green algae blooms to the KDHE at www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness or call 785-296-1664. If you think you’ve gotten sick from algae exposure, you can report that to www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness or call 877-427-7317.
Fourteen Kansas lakes were on the KDHE’s blue-green algae warning list as of Friday, and eight others were under blue-green algae watches.
Besides Lake Afton, bodies of water under a warning are:
- Big Eleven Lake in Wyandotte County
- Camp Hawk Lake in Harvey County
- Gathering Pond in Geary County
- Jerry Ivey Pond in Saline County
- Lakewood Park Lake in Saline County
- Lebo Kids’ Pond in Coffey County
- Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area in Linn County
- Marion County Lake in Marion County
- Melvern Outlet Pond in Osage County
- Melvern Outlet Swim Pond in Osage County
- Neosho County State Fishing Lake in Neosoho County
- South Lake in Johnson County
- Westlake in Gage Park in Shawnee County
Lakes under a watch are:
- Carousel Lake in Shawnee County
Hiawatha City Lake in Brown County
- Hodgeman County State Fishing Lake in Hodgeman County
- Keith Sebelius Reservoir in Norton County
- Lake Shawnee in Shawnee County
- Lovewell Reservoir in Jewell County
- Marion Reservoir in Marion County
- Rock Garden Pond in Gage Park in Shawnee County
This story was originally published August 9, 2019 at 12:59 PM.
