The algae bloom moving from Lake Padden through Padden Creek, which dyed the waters bright green over the weekend and early this week, is not toxic, state testing shows.
A sample collected Monday was analyzed at a laboratory in King County this week, and found no detectable levels of toxin in the algae, said Tom Kunesh, Whatcom County Health and Community Services’s environmental health supervisor.
Even so, Kunesh said, residents should avoid contact with the water while the bloom is present.
“The trouble with toxin testing is now we know what happened, and what the situation was on Monday,” Kunesh said Wednesday afternoon, March 29. “Cyanobacteria concentrations in the water can change on a daily basis … The bacteria can multiply rapidly when conditions are right.”
Cyanobacteria, the toxic bacteria often present in blue-green algae blooms, thrives in warm, calm waters like Lake Padden. Recent sunny weather in Bellingham has helped make conditions in Padden perfect for a toxic bloom.
“If you see a bloom, stay out of the water,” Kunesh said. “Don’t let your kids or pets play in the water, and don’t let your pets drink the water.”
Though the conditions in Lake Padden are ideal for a toxic bloom, the lake has never had toxin levels that exceed EPA water contact standards in the waters, Kunesh said.
exceeding the EPA water contact standards
“Tests or toxins in this lake have never exceeded the EPA water contact standard for the two most common cyanotoxins,” Kunesh said. “But past activity is not necessarily an indicator of future activity. Things can change. We’ll be keeping an eye on the lake.”
Kunesh said the county has plans to test the lake for toxins monthly, if a bloom is present.
Whatcom County Health and Community Services reported no toxins were detected in water samples taken March 1 from Padden Creek and Lake Padden.
A previous version of this story incorrectly described historic toxin levels in Padden Creek and Lake Padden. The county has detected toxins in the past, but not at levels that exceed EPA standards. The story was updated to reflect this change at 11:08 a.m. on March 31. The Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.
