Utah DEQ warns residents of algal blooms in McClellan Lake

Utah DEQ warns residents of algal blooms in McClellan Lake

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PAYSON — Health officials warned residents Tuesday to not swim or water ski in McClellan Lake after harmful blue-green algal blooms were found in the water.

The warning advisory was issued by Utah County Health Department officials after water samples taken June 24 showed concentration of cyanobacteria blooms, commonly known as blue-green algae, exceeded the health-based threshold, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Equality website.

“A warning advisory indicates a moderate relative probability of acute health risk,” the release said.

So long as the warning advisory is in place, people should not ingest the water, keep pets and livestock away from the water, clean fish well and discard guts, and avoid areas of scum while boating.

Toxin test results for microcystins, the harmful toxin produced by algal blooms, were “well below the recreation health-based threshold,” according to the environmental department.

Dominant toxins present in the sample — aphanizomenon gracile, sphaerospermopsis and chrysosporium — could still produce microcystin, the release noted.

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Lauren Bennett is a reporter with KSL.com who covers Utah’s religious community and the growing tech sector in the Beehive State.

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