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Toxic algae appears to be surging again in Utah Lake, prompting the Utah County Health Department to issue health advisories for specific portions of the lake.
Warning signs have been posted at both Sandy Beach and the Saratoga Springs Marina. Lincoln Beach — which never really opened after July's massive algal bloom, according to health department spokeswoman Aislynn Tolman-Hill — remains closed.
Box Lake also acquired warning signs this afternoon due to increasingly high levels of toxic algae in that body; warnings regarding algae remain in place at nearby Big East Lake.
Recreators are advised to avoid contact with water where warnings are present, but boating is permitted until formal closures are issued. Pets and livestock should be kept away from any bodies of water where advisories indicate algae is present, as the water may be unsafe if ingested.
And it does appear Utah Lake and other bodies of water may be headed once again toward closures, Tolman-Hill said.
Preliminary pass/fail tests indicate the presence of microcystin — a liver toxin that can lead to abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever, at both Lincoln Beach and Sandy Beach — Other areas were issued warnings because populations of these harmful algae, known as cyanobacteria, are increasing, and because conditions are ripe for further growth.
Tolman-Hill said the health departments' water experts believe there is a good chance the algae will spread again. But because Utah is in uncharted water after July's unprecedented bloom, she said no one is sure exactly how the algae will behave.