Nebraskaland Magazine
LINCOLN, Neb. – A health alert is in effect for Bluestem Lake in Lancaster County, while Willow Creek Reservoir in Pierce County remains on health alert for a second week. A health advisory has been lifted at Pawnee Lake in Lancaster County.
During water testing earlier this week, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality detected elevated toxin levels produced by blue-green algal blooms in Bluestem Lake. Visitors to Bluestem State Recreation Area should avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing, jet skiing, etc. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing and camping are OK. Dog owners are urged to keep pets out of the water and not allow them to ingest lake water.
Lakes with beaches and those that allow power boating are tested weekly through the summer months. Health alerts are lifted when algal toxin levels are below advisory concentration for two consecutive weeks.
A park permit is required of each vehicle entering Bluestem, Willow Creek and Pawnee state recreation areas.
