By Hutchinson Tribune Staff
COLWICH—The City of Colwich urged residents to avoid contact with the water at Memorial Park Lake due to a possible blue-green algae bloom on Thursday, July 16.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) subsequently issued an algae warning for Memorial Park Lake on Friday.
According to a flyer posted on Facebook by the city, blue-green algae may make people or animals who come into contact with it sick. The flyer tells people to call a doctor or veterinarian if people or animals have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, irritated eyes, seizures, breathing problems or other unexplained illness after having contact with harmful blue-green algae.
KDHE monitors lakes for harmful algal blooms from April 1 through Oct. 31.
As of Friday, algae advisories were in place for two other Sedgwick County lakes: both Chisholm Ridge Ponds and Lake Afton were under algae warnings.
A hazardous algal bloom can look like foam, scum, or paint floating on the water and be blue, bright green, brown, or red, KDHE said in a news release announcing the advisories. Symptoms vary depending upon the type of exposure but can include rash, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, and headache. KDHE wrote that anyone who comes in contact with algae should rinse the area with clean, fresh water.
Suspected algae-related health incidents, whether in humans or animals, should be reported to KDHE at kdhe.ks.gov/1163.