Tuttle Creek, Milford Lake closed due to algae blooms

The growth of blue-green algae at the Tuttle Creek River Pond Area has resulted in a warning being issued by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

Todd Lovin, park manager, said that with this warning there is to be "no direct water contact," including swimming or renting canoes or kayaks due to the risk of tipping over. However, the River Pond Area is open to those with fishing boats.

The prime reason a warning has been issued for the River Pond Area is due to the toxins that blue-green algae produce. These toxins have the potential to make humans and animals sick or even cause death.

"There are two broad classes of toxins," said Walter Dodds, professor of biology. "The first is a neurotoxin, which can cause severe neural problems, including death. The second is a hepatotoxin, which is a liver toxin, so exposure can destroy livers."

Dodds said the blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, is "a microscopic plant that grows in the water. It's common in polluted water." This includes bodies of water that have high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.

Blue-green algae also contains cobalt, which is responsible for its growth.

"If it could be taken away, then we wouldn't have these blooms anymore," said Mary Beth Kirkham, professor of agronomy. "But it's very difficult to limit cobalt."

However, there are other reasons as to why blue-green algae is growing in the River Pond Area and other lakes.

"The key ingredients to these blooms are high temperature, high nutrients and moderate winds," Dodds said. "All of those things co-occur. We had a really hot summer, it wasn't extremely windy and there's always high nutrient in that water. With global warming, as temperature increases, these problems will become more frequent. It's a consistent problem in Kansas; it's more common this summer than it has been."

Four dogs died from liver failure this summer after drinking water from Milford Lake, which was issued a similar warning.

"As long as (the blue-green algae) living they won't release toxins," Kirkham said. "When they're no longer alive and photosynthesizing, there are products that are released and cause toxicity."

However, toxicity can also result in lesser degrees of harm. Effects of toxicity "can cause people to have skin reactions and lead to taste and odor problems in drinking waters," Dodds said.

"If a fish is in the water where there are a lot of the (blue-green algae) blooms, they will obtain a certain taste, which can be detected even in low levels," Dodds said. "Many areas that rely on lakes for drinking water have odor or taste in their drinking water."

Blue-green algae toxicity is not unusual, but can become hazardous depending on the level.

Fishing is still permitted in the Tuttle Creek River Pond Area.

"Fish aren't affected by the toxins," said Keith Gido, associate professor of biology. "If you wash that fillet, it would be fine to eat."

However, the blue-green algae growing in the River Pond Area poses a threat to the population of fish since "the algae do consume oxygen at night. During the day they are generating oxygen, but at night the algae consume oxygen, especially when they die. The oxygen levels can become really low and that kills the fish. When the water is hot like it is, it doesn't hold as much oxygen," Gido said.

When asked if anything can be done to stop the hazardous toxicity of the blue-algae from spreading, Dodds said, "In the short run, not really. There are chemical compounds, such as copper, that you can add and sometimes people will do that, but the copper is toxic and expensive. In the long run, the best management is to control the nutrient."

No one can say how long the River Pond Area will be under a warning. Eventually, the weather will cool down and the algae problem will disperse.

"(There have been) some improved conditions," Lovin said. "The core is releasing water, issuing help."

Gido suggests checking the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's webpages before venturing out to the Tuttle Creek River Pond Area or to other affected lakes and ponds in Kansas.