The Lincoln Marina on Utah Lake reopened on July 26 after a month of closure due to toxic algae blooms. Officials hope the algae in the area will continue to decrease but have placed the lake under warning after a potentially toxic bloom was discovered on August 8.
Public Information Officer for the Utah County Health Department Aislynn Tolman-Hill said because the past two weeks of test results indicated that algae concentrations have dropped, “there’s not a legitimate reason to keep it closed at this point.”
Despite the reopening, residents should still exercise caution at the marina.
In a news release, the Utah County Health Department said even though the danger advisory against the marina has been lifted, the algae bloom there still poses “moderate probability of acute health risk.”
Citizens are encouraged to keep pets and livestock away from the water, avoid swimming and waterskiing, properly clean caught fish, avoid ingesting water and avoid boating near areas of scum.
If residents or their pets come in contact with an algae bloom, they should call the Utah Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.
Tolman-Hill said residents may have to wait a few months until the marina is completely safe again.
“The past few years, we’ve sometimes seen the warning remain in place until early Fall,” Tolman-Hill said. “We certainly hope that (algae levels) will continue to decrease, but it’s just a matter of what happens.”
She added that despite the health department’s hopes, the algae bloom could go the other way, and they would need to close the marina again. “Things can change very, very quickly.”
The health department encourages residents to go to habs.utah.gov for the latest updates on harmful algal blooms in Utah and to download the Bloom Watch app to assist officials in tracking cyanobacteria blooms.
