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Issued jointly from the
Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
UN-L Water Quality Extension Program
July 6, 2007
CONTACTS
Brian McManus, Department of Environmental Quality, (402) 471-4223
Marla Augustine, HHS Communications and Legislative Services, (402) 471-4047
Jim Carney, Game and Parks Commission, (402) 471-5547
Tadd Barrow, UN-L Water Quality Extension, (402) 472-7783
Health Alert Issued for Iron Horse Trail Lake; Alert Continues for
Fremont Lake #20
The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Iron Horse
Trail Lake in Pawnee County. A health alert also remains in effect for Fremont Lake #20,
which has been on alert since early May.
Samples taken July 2 at both lakes were above the state’s health alert threshold
of 20 parts per billion (ppb) of total Microcystins (a toxin released by certain strains
of blue-green algae).
Signs have been posted to advise the public to use caution, and the beaches at the two
lakes will remain closed during the health alerts. Recreational boating and fishing are
permitted at the lakes, but the public is advised to avoid activities that could involve
accidental ingestion of water. People can still use the public areas for camping, picnics
and other outdoor activities.
The two lakes will continue to be monitored weekly throughout the 2007 recreational
season. The state is also taking periodic samples at 42 other public recreational lakes
through September. Sampling results for toxic algae will be updated every Friday and
posted on the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality’s web site, www.deq.state.ne.us.
(For more information about potential health effects of toxic blue-green algae, what
to look for, and steps to avoid exposure, please refer to the attached  Fact Sheet.)
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