Two public ponds in Osage County are now under a blue-green algae warning.
Melvern Lake’s Outlet Pond and Swim Pond were added to the warning list after algae was visually reported last week. The two ponds join Lebo Kids Pond in Lebo and six other water bodies across Kansas under an algae warning. Ten other bodies of water are under an algae watch, but none of those are in the KVOE listening area.
Whenever the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issues warnings, it advises people to take certain precautions:
*Avoid areas where algae is visible
*Clean fish and rinse with clean water. Eat only the fillet portion and throw out all other parts.
*Do not drink or even contact untreated lake water
*Do not eat dried algae or let pets consume dried algae
*Wash with clean water as soon as possible if people or pets come in contact with algae
Blue-green algae is highly toxic to people and pets.
