Toxic algae mats appear in Lake Accotink
Don’t wade or swim in Lake Accotink and don’t let your children or dog play in the water, the Virginia Department of Health warns
That’s because there’s a toxic blue-green algae bloom in the lake.
“Exposure to algal toxins may cause illness,” states a notice posted by VDH at the marina. “Call your doctor or veterinarian if you or your animals have sudden or unexplained sickness or signs of poisoning.”
Algal mats can be attached to the lake bottom, detached and floating, or washed up on shore.
It is safe to eat properly cooked fish from Lake Accotink, as long as they are thoroughly cleaned and the carcass and guts are discarded, the notice states. Hands and surfaces should be washed with soapy water.
“While these blooms are normal for this time of year and typically clear up with passing rainstorms, higher concentrations of certain blue-green algae can produce toxins that pose serious health risks to people and animals,” the Fairfax County Park Authority posted on Instagram.
The Park Authority also notes that swimming and wading in Lake Accotink is banned year-round.
Check the Park Alerts webpage for updates.
Related story: A fix for Lake Accotink is years away
Fairfax county created accotink swamp by their inaction- but they plan to re name roads and put up signage to feel powerful.
A “carcass” is a dead body. If you discard the body (skin, bones, flesh) and the internal organs, what part is left that you are eating? Did someone write that notice after snacking on toxic algae?
Rename the lake and spend millions on signs, “Lake Equitytink.”
Lake Accotink is the perfect reflection of the state of the environment in Fairfax County. It’s an impoundment of Accotink Creek, whose watershed lies entirely within the County. Effects of development upstream appear in the Lake. Only by protecting the watershed from rapid runoff & erosion can we sustain an impoundment in the middle of intense urban development.
The Army Corp and county should return this to a nice woodland surrounded stream. Moving water rarely has algae and bacterial buildups.