Health Alert Issued For Polk Waterways After Blue-Green Algae Detected

The Polk County health department warns residents and visitors against swimming and other activities in these seven waterways.

The Florida Department of Health in Polk County has issued a health alert for Lake Hancock, Haines Lake near the boat ramp, Lake Hollingsworth at the Lakeland Water Ski Club, the Peace River in Bartow at State Road 60, the Peace River at the Fort Meade Recreation Area, Scott Lake at the Fitzgerald Road boat ramp and Tiger Lake due to the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins detective on May 2.

The public should exercise caution in and around these waterways.

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

• Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.
• Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.
• Keep pets away from the area. Waters where there are algae blooms are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present.
• Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins.
• Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse the fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook the fish well.
• Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria that is common in Florida’s freshwater environments. A bloom occurs when rapid growth of algae leads to an accumulation of individual cells that discolor water and often produce floating mats with unpleasant odors.

Some environmental factors that contribute to blue-green algae blooms are sunny days, warm water temperatures, still water conditions and excess nutrients.