The Red Lake Watershed District is continuing to monitor Maple Lake for the presence of blue-green algae and associated toxins. On Monday, August 12, 2024, RLWD staff found evidence of a blue-green algae bloom at the Polk County Park marina on Maple Lake. And on Tuesday, 8/13/24 it was also found by the beach at Polk County Park. A sample of the water was tested for microcystin algal toxins. Like last week’s sample at Cross Lake, this sample had a higher concentration than what our test could measure.
Signs have been posted warning visitors of the algae. As the saying goes: “when in doubt, stay out!” It is especially important to keep pets and children away from the water if you see evidence of blue-green algae or it has been reported in your lake.
Runoff generated by the unrelenting rain events in the earlier part of the summer carried a lot of pollutants/nutrients like phosphorus into our waters. Recent high temperatures, combined with extra phosphorus, is a recipe for harmful algal blooms. If your lake has a history of blue-green algae blooms, be on the lookout for potential blue-green algae blooms this summer.
Updates/history of our monitoring results as well as informational resources (like how to tell if you have a blue-green algae bloom) can be found on the RLWD website: https://www.rlwdwatersheds.org/bluegreenalgae
