YPSILANTI, Mich. — The Washtenaw County Health Department says harmful algal bloom, or HAB, has been reported in Ford Lake in Ypsilanti.
According to the county, testing on Sept. 10 confirmed the presence of microcystin toxin levels above the Environmental Protection Agency-recommended recreational limit, and an advisory was then issues by the health department.
See video of the harmful algal bloom in Ford Lake in the video below:
The public health advisory will remain in effect for any areas with visible blue-green water or water with green shade.
According to the health department, a resident reported the suspected HAB on Ford Lake on Sept. 10. Other residents have reported a pungent smell near the affected areas.
"Last couple of nights, it’s just had a real bad reek to it," Ypsilanti resident and fisherman Jeremy Knox said. “A lot of just grime around the shores and settling areas.”
People and pets should avoid direct body contact with scums in the lake, water that is blue-green or water that looks like it has a green sheen or spilled paint on the surface.
Knox says he never lets his dog play in the water and plans on using a lot of hand sanitizer when fishing this weekend.
The health department says:
- You can swim in the water but stay away from water that has scums or mats, looks like spilled paint, or has colored streaks. People and pets should rinse off after swimming.
- Keep children and pets away from algae in the water or on the shore.
- Do not let pets or livestock drink the water or eat scum on the shore.
- All fish should be caught and released and not consumed. Ford Lake is under a Do Not Eat Fish Advisory.
- Do not drink water from lakes, ponds, or rivers.
- When in doubt, keep people and pets out of the water.
- Call you doctor or veterinarian if you or your pet get sick after going in the water.
People who choose to water ski, boat or tube in areas with visible algal scums should be cautious.
"Breathing in water droplets with algae from the boat spray may cause nose and throat irritation. Swallowing large amounts of water containing cyanotoxins while swimming, wading, or playing in the water may cause flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal illness, or neurotoxic symptoms. These may include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, numbness, headaches, dizziness, or difficulty breathing. Swallowing large amounts of cyanotoxins can harm the liver or kidneys," the health department said in a statement.
Harmful algal blooms are naturally-occurring and many factors cause them to form. Ford Lake is unfortunately known to sometimes develop these harmful toxins.
"Ford Lake, if you've been there, has lots of beautiful little peninsulas and coves and sometimes, those can be areas where there isn't as much water-flowing exchange. So that could be a contributing factor to why we might see some there," Washtenaw County Health Department spokesperson Susan Ringler Cerniglia said.
Families looking to enjoy the water Friday had to change plans.
"It looked extra funky today, which made me not want to come back," Amy Stough, who was visiting the lake, said.
Stough described the smell of the lake like trash.
If you see contaminated water, follow these steps:
- Do not let your children or pets play in HAB debris on the shore.
- After swimming or wading in lake water, even where no HABs are visible, rinse off with fresh water as soon as possible.
- Never swallow any lake or river water, whether you see HABs or not.
- Do not let pets lick HAB material from their fur or eat HAB material.
- Do not drink or cook with lake water.
- See a doctor if you or your children might be ill from HAB toxins. If your pet appears ill, contact your veterinarian.
