I don't have any information on the concentration levels of toxin in Green
Lake, but the algae of concern, Anabaena, has been reported to be the cause
of death in the case of cats, dogs, and livestock which drank the water. The
toxin is not always present with a species, and requires testing of the
specific bloom at hand. In other words, not all strains of the species may
produce the toxin. Apparently this one in Green Lake does have it. It may be
fatal to warm blooded vertebrates if ingested in a sufficient quantity.

Moses Lake, American Lake, and Long Lake (near Spokane) have had such toxic
Anabaena blooms. At Long Lake in it was reported in a paper from 1981 that
four dogs died, and there were unverified reports of the death of 2 ducks
and a beaver. In Moses Lake, 2 dogs died in a bloom in October of 1982.

A lot of research still needs to go into predicting algae blooms and their
possible toxicity.

My reference for this is an excellent book by Dr. W. T. Edmondson, Professor
Emeritus of the UW Zoology Dept: The Uses of Ecology: Lake Washington and
Beyond. (1991).

Other Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) species may produce toxins, such as
the Microcystis aeruginosa which bloomed in Lake Sammamish about a year or
two ago; a golden retriever named Maggie died with symptoms consistent to
the poison, and the lake was closed for a time.

Whether the dissolved oxygen (DO) could drop to problematic levels is hard
to say, the weather and wind play a large role. A large algae bloom will
certainly raise concerns about a possible crash in dissolved oxygen.

My apologies if I've strayed beyond new tweeter guidelines, but I made sure
to mention at least two ducks!

Kevin Li
King County Environmental Lab
322 West Ewing St.
Seattle, WA 98119

Mailstop: LAB-NR-0100

(206) 684-2344

Visit our Lakes website:
http://splash.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/lakes/index.htm


> ----------
> From: Sandra C. Andersen.[SMTP:scadane at email.msn.com]
> Reply To: scadane at email.msn.com
> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 1999 7:32 PM
> To: tweeters
> Subject: Green Lake, Seattle
>
> Is this algea "bloom" in Green Lake going to affect any of the birds? The
> amount of fish? Fish kills from low oxygen?Toxins in fish?Sandi
> Seattle
> scadane at msn.com
>
>
>
>