Algal bloom on Utah Lake continues to grow

State officials say an algal bloom on Utah Lake has grown to the point where it is now covering a majority of the water west of Provo.

Utah County Health Department executive director Ralph Clegg said Wednesday that officials have chosen to issue a warning for the entire lake, although toxin levels have not yet reached concentrations thought to be fatal.

The latest samples from the lake tested positive for low levels of anatoxin, a neuro toxin that can be fatal if ingested. The bloom also tested positive for microcystin, another toxin associated with headaches and gastrointestinal distress.

Clegg says the lake is not closed like it was last summer because cell counts and toxin levels remain low, but he says “the best thing is probably to stay off the water at this point.”