Toxins detected at Dillon

Add Dillon, Lake Hope, Shawnee State Park and East Harbor to the list of places either being tested for toxic algae levels or having the toxins present at significant levels. The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday that warning signs are going up at Dillon, LAke Hope ad a Shawnee State Park pond. It reported in Thursday's editions that East Harbor is being tested.
The Newark Advocate reports that beaches at Buckeye Lake tested clear.
As I understand it, the blue-green algae that produces the dangerous toxins is present in almost every body of water. When conditions are right, such as with a build up of nutrient levels from agricultural runoff, the algae can "bloom" and the toxin levels build to dangerous levels, which is what happened at Grand Lake St. Mary's.
Nothing in the Dispatch stories indicates the toxin levels at Dillon are at the level of Grand Lake, but the fact is the state is erecting warning signs and you should heed the warnings and be careful not to ingest any water and keep contact to a minimum. Stay away from any obvious algae surface scum.
The signs at Dillon were to be erected Wednesday and I haven't heard whether they had any effect on the turnout for the Wednesday night pot tournaments there. I should hear something Thursday.

Toxic algae at Blue Rock

The same toxic algae that has plagued Grand Lake St. Mary's and has also been detected at Burr Oak Lake, has been detected in Cutler Lake at Blue Rock State Park in Muskingum County, the Columbus Dispatch reported Monday. Warning signs have been posted around the 15-acre lake, telling visitors not to touch the water or take b boats onto the lake. People are also being warned not to eat fish from the lake and the park's water supply was cut off. The Mark Twain Family Fun Day Saturday was canceled.
At Burr Oak, people were urged to minimize contact and avoid swallowing water. According to the Dispatch report, the latest tests at Burr Oak did not detect any of the toxic algae and if another round of tests continues to be clear, warning signs at Burr Oak will be taken down.