Goss Lake’s bloom of bacteria waning

LANGLEY — Goss Lake could still be the site of the 13th annual Whidbey Island Triathlon.

While caution signs remain up at the lake, it appears that the green algaelike bloom of cyanobacteria may be dissipating.

Island County Public Health department officials have posted caution signs at the lake since December, when the cyanobacteria first showed up. The signs were taken down briefly in May but went up again when another bloom was reported.

“I have no choice but to leave the signs up,” said Kathleen Parvin, an environmental health specialist with the public health department. “Something’s going up and down, and blooms are coming and going. We’re just trying to keep people aware of the issues.”

Though tests have shown no toxins or low levels of toxins in the lake throughout the spring, people are being cautioned not to swim or water ski in the bloom, not to drink the water and not to let pets or livestock near the water. People also need to keep their boats away from the scum on the lake and throw away the guts from any fish they catch there, Parvin said.

The green blooms, which can look like pea soup or paint, can pose a human health concern, according to the state Department of Ecology Web site. Although most blooms are not toxic, some can produce nerve and intestinal problems, as well as skin rashes, Parvin said.

South Whidbey Parks and Recreation still plans to run the triathlon on Aug. 1 at Goss Lake.

Information about the race is available at www.swparks.org.

More information about freshwater lake blooms and how to identify them is available at the state Ecology Department Web site, www.ecy.wa.gov, and then click on “freshwater” in the algae blooms section of the spotlight column.

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427, gfiege@heraldnet.com.