Utah Lake Closure?

[bigdaddy84094]

Just received the following text alert from KSL News Radio......

KSL NEWSRADIO: Utah Lake closed entirely due to potentially harmful algal bloom which now covers 90% of the lake.

Does anyone have any further info on this ? I thought closures were for only the eastern part of the lake, now it looks as if the entire lake might be shut down.

Thanx

BD84094
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[nebocreek]

From the Herald:
[url]http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/utah-lake-closed-until-further-notice-due-to-algal-bloom/article_bece7271-dc46-5017-8a6b-70de50399ca4.html#utm_source=heraldextra.com&utm_campaign=%2Femail-updates%2Fbreaking%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_content=9D6C7C26A73985ABF55905DB7DEC4DED9A0EEFD5
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[ice_sled]

I understood that is closed for people that want to he in the water. I do n't think it is fisherman that want to launch their boats. I am planning on doing a all nighter at Lincoln Beach tonight. Hope my plans don' t have to change. I have plans to catch a 34" cat!😊
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[bigdaddy84094]

Thanx.

Just got done reading the write up on Fox News Utah along with the link you provided. I really hate to see that, looks like the cats will get a little break now.

BD84094
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]It had to happen. When Utah Lake was allowed to get so low I predicted it. But I did not expect it to be so bad so fast.

In "normal" water years there is usually at least some kind of algae bloom. But it is not more than an ugly nuisance and typically happens in late summer, around Labor Day...or when the water begins to cool for fall. However, it happened much earlier the past two years when water levels were lower and the nutrient levels (treated wastewater) were higher as a total percentage of the water. This year the combination of extremely low water and sustained high temperatures were enough to cause the massive algae bloom we are now seeing.

The bad news is that it could last until fall water temps drop below about 60 degrees. The really bad news is that if it gets worse it could result in oxygen depletion and fish kills. About the only species able to survive might be the carp. Oh joy!
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[bigdaddy84094]

If you go by the news on the web it's closed for everyone up to and including not eating any fish taken out of the lake after July 10th.
Bad news for us cat-addicts..........
Looks as if your overnighter might be a dud at this point, at Utah Lake anyway.

BD84094
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[bigdaddy84094]

O, wow. Fish kill ? I sure hope not, to bad it wasn't something that is only harmful to the carp(kinda put their numbers in check). Thanks for the info Pat. I was only thinking of myself and not being able to get into the cats, now my thoughts are shifted to I hope it doesn't get bad enough that it kills off fish.
I might have to get ahold of BLK find out where he plans on doing his rehab, I've heard sometimes withdrawal is easier to go thru if you have someone that understands the addiction to go thru it with you.

BUMMER !!

BD84094
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[Piscophilic]

And the question isn't "Will it get worse?" but only "How bad will it get?"

We can only hope that those that have held the water back and taken more out will feel the $ting[]
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[Piscophilic]

IceSled,

Be cautious. BLK and I tried to go of out Lincoln yesterday afternoon for a "Swing shift." We didn't like the NW wind, so we never got past the jaws.

The water had 1 to 2 foot waves on it and about 15 mph NW wind. The worst part was it looked like pea soup. All that algae was blowing to the south end. The problem is that every time water splashes off your bow, you will breath that stuff.

I hope for a very calm night and lots of big fish if you do go out[]
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[TubeDude]

[quote bigdaddy84094]O, wow. Fish kill ? I sure hope not, to bad it wasn't something that is only harmful to the carp(kinda put their numbers in check). BD84094[/quote]

[#0000FF]If you wanna know how bad that stuff can be, review all the recent news on the algae bloom in [url "http://fox13now.com/2016/03/25/fish-kill-in-florida-heartbreaking-images-seen-for-miles/"]FLORIDA[/url]. (link) Started in fresh water and killed tons of fish. Migrated out to sea and can be seen from space. It started about the same way ours did...excessive phosphate nutrients from ag and municipal inflows into Lake Okeechobee. When large amounts of that water were released into other waterways the algae went crazy.

I experienced how bad it can be the last year I lived in Arizona. TubeBabe and I often fished a small cove on Saguaro Lake, near Phoenix. But one morning we launched to find no fish on sonar and no visible fish activity on the surface...not even carp. And the foul smell we noticed turned out to be thousands of dead freshwater clams that had died, bloated up and floated to the surface. A call to AZ fish and game confirmed it was an algae bloom problem the previous week. Anything that did not leave that cove...and a couple of others...died. And it took over two years for the ecology to start to come back.
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[MisterCompletely]

Ice Sled, I hope this doesn't change things for you. I was planning to fish the evening in my boat out of Provo harbor, from about 8 until 11, but now I think I'll hold off and see how this plays out. I just looked at the Live Stream cam and there is one boat and a wave runner in the channel, and what appears to be 2 fishermen on the docks, as well as car traffic, so I guess at least they haven't closed the state park.
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[ice_sled]

I will not try my all nighter now. Will try Yuba or Gunnison Bend tomorrow.
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[Boatloadakids]

This is terrible news. I am already feeling the effects of withdrawal symptoms. Life has lost all meaning, I have no appetite, and I have developed a curious tic in one eye with a spasmotic elbow flex and outbursts of "got 'im" in my sleep. There is no future.

So I can't even fish from the shore?

I'm going to Alaska next week and that may be the only thing that saves me from an involuntary commitment to a cataholic rehab center.

ALGAE GO AWAY !!

BLK
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[bigdaddy84094]

Lynn,

I feel your pain ...........lol

Good luck on the Alaska trip, hopefully no bear encounters this time.

BD84094
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[TubeDude]

[quote Boatloadakids] I have developed a curious tic in one eye with a spasmotic elbow flex and outbursts of "got 'im" in my sleep.BLK[/quote]

[#0000FF]You already got that stuff. Don't blame it on the pea soup.

Good luck in Alaska. And no you can't claim any of the big fish you catch up there for the contest.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF][size 3]This was in this morning's Tribune.[/size][/#0000FF]
Utah Lake closed due to health concerns from large algal bloom
By [url "http://www.sltrib.com/staff/courtney-tanner/"]COURTNEY TANNER[/url] | The Salt Lake Tribune [url "http://www.sltrib.com/staff/courtney-tanner/"][/url]
First Published Jul 15 2016 12:12PM

State officials closed the entirety of Utah Lake on Friday after test results confirmed that a large algal bloom poses "serious health risks."

Satellite images show a bright green slick running two miles along the eastern shore from Provo Bay to Provo Harbor near Utah Lake State Park, according to a news release from the Department of Environmental Quality. Several smaller blooms collectively cover 90 percent of the lake.

The Utah Department of Health advises that people and animals avoid the water. The algal growth contains toxin-producing cyanobacteria, which causes headache, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and allergic reactions with skin contact, the release states. The algae can also affect brain, nervous system and liver functions. If ingested, it can be fatal.
Those worried about exposure should contact Utah Poison Control at 800-222-1222 or their physician.
DEQ researchers collected samples of the bloom after a recreationist alerted authorities of the growth Wednesday. Initial results received Friday morning show a concentration of algal cells in Utah Lake three times the threshold for closing a body of water, according to the DEQ news release. This is the first time the entire lake has been closed.
Officials posted signs around Utah Lake warning of the health risks, but say even if algae is not visible, the water will remain off-limits "until further notice," as toxins can be present even after a bloom has dissolved. More tests results on the toxicity are expected early next week.

Utah Lake has struggled with large algal blooms in the past, including in 2014, when the growth poisoned and killed two dogs. Algae is a natural component of many lake ecosystems, but waters with high levels of nutrients, warm temperatures, calm flows and heavy sunlight can develop extensive blooms that pose a risk.

Though the blooms die off as part of a natural biological cycle, they can last for days or weeks, depending on weather patterns. Longstanding growths threaten fish and wildlife; DEQ recommends not eating any fish caught in the lake since July 10 and not fishing in rivers near Utah Lake.
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[fish_fear_me2]

Its a situation. We have had many smaller algae blooms in past years but this one seems to have the potential to kill more fish except carp of course. I again question the wisdom of lowering an entire lake to dredge a harbor. We can only hope that those making those decisions might take a more modern approach and dike off the harbor rather than jeopardize the lake ecosystem. The lost revenue to all the private harbors as well as the state park might give them s little motivation to rethink the current plan. Not sure if raising the level now will help or not. Sad .
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[SkinnyLynnie]

So, I went fishing on Utah Lake (near Bird Island) on July 12 and caught several large catfish. The fillets are now in my freezer. Should I throw them out? I didn't see any algae blooms out by Bird Island, and catfish would seem to live below the level of the blooms anyway. I actually went "swimming" to retrieve some snags on the bottom and waded in to the island also. I didn't feel any ill effects of that exposure. Should I worry about eating the fish I caught? I don't want to waste them, but I don't want to get sick either. What say ye all?
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[bigdaddy84094]

Very indeed ! I have heard TubeDude mention many,many times of the neglect, misuse, and lack of appreciation people have for Utah Lake.
It's just too bad not EVERYONE sees just what a (potentially) great fishery Utah Lake really is............
I've had a lot of great times on the ol' pond with my kids, grandchildren, and friends.
Thanx for the update Pat.


[mad] SMH [crazy]

BD84094
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[gmwahl]

You shouldl be fine to eat them. The toxins won't be at a harmful level in fish flesh for some time after the bloom happens, and then it will probably be ok. The DEQ did recommend not eating any caught AFTER July 10, but they alway base those recommendations on erring on the extreme side of things, just to play it safe. They aren't absorbing it through their skin, they are taking it in through the food chain which has to start with plankton and then work its way up through bait fish to predator.

I think they are right to close the lake until the water gets cleaned up with a weather event, but I wouldn't get too worried about the safety of the fish just yet. Remember, the algae is always in the lake in a lower level, so the food chain already always has it in the system at some level, but the right conditions just made it bloom really fast this time.

Mike
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