An advisory on Lake Wylie warns to keep clear of detected toxins. Here’s where.
Boaters, swimmers and other recreational users on Lake Wylie should steer clear of potentially harmful algae blooms, says the state health department.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control issued a recreational water advisory Thursday for a portion of the lake after detecting the bloom. A DHEC monitoring site shows the advisory for a cove off Acacia Road, on the main channel from the Concord Road peninsula in Lake Wylie.
Pets and livestock can be harmed by microtoxins from an algae bloom. People can become sick. Fish caught in those areas should be rinsed thoroughly before consumption.
An advisory is issued when an algae bloom is identified and is producing toxins greater than state recreational standards, according to DHEC. Nine more monitoring stations on the lake have watches. A watch means a bloom has been identified but isn’t yet producing toxins at or beyond the state threshold for an advisory.
Most of the watch level samples are in and around Tega Cay, prompting flash messages to the public from the city. The advisory level cove is across the lake from the city. There also is a watch on a Rock Hill cove near Lake Wylie Dam.
DHEC routinely monitors stations across the South Carolina sides of Lake Wylie. A Sept. 28 test resulted in high levels of microcystins, toxins produced by cyanobacteria. It’s formerly known as blue-green algae. Tests found levels at least 25% higher than the state safety threshold.
The algae has been seen throughout several coves, but the area of the advisory reaches along the shoreline of the lake. The watches do not include open water sections of the lake.
“Until further notice, no one should swim, wade or come into contact with any discolored water or scum, foam or algae in Lake Wylie ,” DHEC aquatic science program manager Bryan Rabon said in a release Thursday.
DHEC is in contact with North Carolina environmental agencies, along with Duke Energy that manages the Catawba River and its lakes.
Anyone who experiences illness after coming in contact with the water should seek medical attention. Veterinarians should be contacted for any pets or livestock that may come in contact with the blooms.
In August, and again in September, the Charlotte Observer reported blue-green algae blooms spotted on the North Carolina side of Lake Wylie. Blooms were spotted near Boyds Cove, not far from the state line that bisects the lake.
This story was originally published October 7, 2021 at 12:56 PM with the headline "An advisory on Lake Wylie warns to keep clear of detected toxins. Here’s where.."
