Health alert in effect for Bluestem Lake, lifted at Willow Creek

LINCOLN, Neb. – A health alert remains in effect for Bluestem Lake in Lancaster County. A health advisory has been lifted at Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County.

During water testing last week, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality detected elevated toxin levels produced by blue-green algal blooms in Bluestem Lake. While toxin levels were lower this week, health alerts are not lifted until algal toxin levels have measured below advisory concentration for two consecutive weeks. Visitors to Bluestem State Recreation Area (SRA) 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.

A park permit is required of each vehicle entering Bluestem and Willow Creek SRAs.