From The Evening Leader:
Toxin levels in two area lakes dropped last week, resulting in the removal of one of the bodies of water from a state-backed advisory. State officials Monday night removed the algae bloom advisory for Lake Loramie after test results showed it was toxin free for the second consecutive week. The lake had been under an advisory cautioning visitors from coming into contact with algal blooms for approximately two weeks.
Grand Lake St. Marys also experienced a drop in toxins levels. Microcystin levels ranged between 4.1 parts per billion to 14 ppb. The World Health Organization set a threshold of 20 ppb as posing a moderate risk to those who come into recreational contact with water.
Levels of the three new algal toxins also showed lower results. Anatoxin-a levels were at 1 ppb at East, West and Camp beaches. No saxitoxin was recorded and East Beach had a hit of cylindrospermopsin at 0.062 ppb — a little more than the detection limit of 0.05 ppb.
Officials removed three lakes from the advisory list and 14 remain posted. Along with Grand Lake St. Marys, Culter Lake at Blue Rock State Park are posted with no contact advisories cautioning against boating or fishing.
Burr Oak State Park, East Branch Reservoir, LaDue Reservoir and Maumee Bay State Park (Lake Erie bloom) are under toxin advisories. Alum Creek (park office pond), Deer Creek State Park, Delaware State Park, East Harbor State Park (Lake Erie bloom), Mount Gilead State Park and Shawnee State Park (golf course pond) are under a bloom advisory.
If Grand Lake St. Marys is toxin-free for two consecutive weeks, state officials said they would remove the current advisory. The current advisory has taken its toll on businesses around the lake. In an effort to help stave off the economic slide, state officials refunded 2010 dock fees and slash prices on camping and shelterhouse rentals at the lake. Until the end of the year, camping sites and shelterhouse rental are 50 percent off.