TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Florida Department of Health in Leon County has issued a health caution for Lake Munson.
According to DOH Leon, a health caution advisory has been issued for the lake located at 1025 Munson Landing Road in Tallahassee for the presence of potentially harmful blue-green algal blooms.
According to the department of health, a water sample was taken on May 5 and found the presence of an algal bloom.
However, lab tests did not detect toxins.
Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria that is common in the state’s freshwater environments.
The department of health notes a bloom occurs when rapid growth of algae leads to an accumulation of individual cells that discolor water and produce floating material that produces an unpleasant odor.
The department of health urges citizens to have caution around Lake Munson and take the following precautions if interacting with the lake:
- 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 fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook fish well.
- Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.
The blooms do occur naturally in the environment due to sunny days, warm water temperatures, calm water conditions and excess nutrients. Summer and fall is the most active time of the year for the blooms.
