GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah, Sept. 24, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Panguitch Lake has been closed Monday based on extremely high toxin levels from an ongoing cyanobacteria bloom.
The Southwestern Utah Health Department has issued a danger advisory/closure order for the lake in Garfield County and closure signs have been posted, according to a news release from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
Toxin test results from the Utah Public Health Lab for samples collected on Sept. 12 show microcystin levels that were at least 12.5 times higher than the recreation health-based threshold for a danger advisory, the news release said.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food contacted livestock operators in the area to recommend they prevent their cattle from drinking water from the reservoir and downstream sources. UDAF advises producers to find alternative water sources until conditions improve.
Officials have not said when the lake is likely to reopen.
For more information about harmful algal blooms from the Utah DEQ, click here.
