Oregon Health Authority lifts recreational use advisory for Ochoco Lake, but says pets should still stay away
Barney Lerten
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Health Authority said Tuesday it has lifted a recreational use health advisory issued for Ochoco Lake in Crook County.
OHA issued the advisory on Aug 27 for the lake, located seven miles east of Prineville, where Crook County Parks and Recreation operates and maintains a campground and day-use area.
The rest of Tuesday’s OHA announcement:
Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of cyanotoxins in Ochoco Lake are below recreational guideline values for people.
However, levels detected are still above OHA’s educational guideline values for dogs, and owners should keep their pets away from these areas.
OHA advises recreational visitors to continually be alert to signs of cyanobacteria blooms. This is because blooms can develop and disappear on any water body at any time when bloom conditions are favorable.
Only a fraction of water bodies in Oregon are monitored for blooms and toxins, so it’s important for people to become familiar with signs of a bloom, exposures and symptoms by visiting OHA’s Cyanobacteria (Harmful Algae) Blooms website at http://www.healthoregon.org/hab.
When recreating, people, and especially small children, and pets should avoid areas where the water is foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green or blue-green, or if thick brownish-red mats are visible or bright green clumps are suspended in the water.
If you see these signs, avoid activities that cause you to swallow water or inhale droplets, such as swimming or high-speed water activities, and keep pets out of the area.
Cyanotoxins can still exist in clear water. When a bloom dies, toxins released may reach into clear water around the bloom.
Blooms can be pushed into other areas, leaving toxins behind. There also are species of cyanobacteria that anchor themselves at the bottom of a water body, live in the sediment, or can grow on aquatic plants and release toxins into clear water.
For health information or to report an illness, contact OHA at 971-673-0482, or visit OHA’s Cyanobacteria (Harmful Algae) Blooms website.