RED ALERT: Lake Wyangan North Due To Blue-Green Algae

DO NOT SWIM!


Article heading image for RED ALERT: Lake Wyangan North Due To Blue-Green Algae

Griffith City Council has issued a Red Alert warning for the Blue-Green Algae in Lake Wyangan (North).

The Red Alert indicates that the water of Lake Wyangan North is not suitable for recreational use or primary contact by domestic users and may pose a threat to livestock. 

Residents and visitors are advised not to enter the water to undertake recreational activities where they may come into contact with the water, such as swimming, bathing, boating, water skiing, sailing, kayaking and fishing. You're advised to avoid areas where algae is obivous. 

Residents and visitors are further advised not to drink the untreated water or bathe in the water drawn from Lake Wyangan North. Blue-Green Algae may cause gastroenteritis in humans if consumed and may also cause eye and skin irritations. Please note algae cannot be removed by boiling the water.

Livestock owners are advised to restrict access by removing livestock from the foreshores of Lake Wyangan North where surface scum is visible or Blue-Green Algae is suspected and domestic pets should also be kept away from the Lake, as consumption of the water may pose a threat.

Council’s Lake Wyangan & Catchment Project Officer Tom Ryan said despite the biovolume reading of non-toxic algae being elevated, the biovolume of potentially toxic algae species remains very low.

“We are obliged to close the Lake as a precautionary measure to ensure the health and safety of the community,” Mr Ryan said.

 

Griffith City Council is committed to improving the health of Lake Wyangan North and improving the recreational opportunities for the community, with the first priority to improve the water quality.

Once this has been achieved, further restoration works will be planned to improve the Lake facilities.

Regular users, such as the Griffith Boat Club and Griffith Sailing Club, have been notified of the closure.

Warning signs have been erected around Lake Wyangan North to alert users of the restricted access to the Lake. Access to the recreational land such as the picnic area however, will remain open.

Council will continue to monitor the water quality of Lake Wyangan North and provide updates to the current Red Alert through the website www.griffith.nsw.gov.au and through local media.

14 December 2018




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