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Town of Delavan warns of blue-green algae in lakes

DELAVAN TOWNSHIP — The town of Delavan is warning swimmers and boaters to be aware of toxic blue-green algae in area lakes. The growth of the algae, called gloeotrichia echinulata, is due in part to the hot summer.

Town officials say the algae grows in round colonies that look like tiny balls in the water. Wind and currents can move the colonies around the lake, creating dense accumulations in some areas. The colonies can also move up and down in the water column, becoming more or less noticeable at certain times.

Measures people can take to protect themselves include:

--Do not swim in water that looks like “pea soup,” green or blue paint, or that has a scum layer or puffy blobs floating on the surface.

--Do not boat, water ski, etc. over such water since people can be exposed through inhalation.

--Do not let children play with scum layers, even from shore.

--Do not let pets or livestock swim in or drink waters experiencing blue-green algae blooms.

--Do not treat surface waters that are experiencing blue-green algae blooms with any herbicide or algaecide since toxins are released into the water when blue-green algae cells die.

--Always take a shower after coming into contact with any surface water (whether or not a blue-green algae bloom appears to be present; surface waters may contain other species of potentially harmful bacteria and viruses).

For more information, see the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' website..