Test results on water samples from the southern end of Damariscotta Lake Tuesday, Aug. 9, indicated no detectable levels of cyanobacteria. Midcoast Conservancy personnel will continue to collect water samples for testing. (Bisi Cameron Yee photo)
Damariscotta Lake Watch, a Facebook page connected to the Midcoast Conservancy, reports water samples taken from the South arm of Damariscotta Lake, Tuesday, Aug. 9, did not contain detectable levels of cyanobacteria.
The same source reported samples collected from the Damariscotta Mills area of the lake Thursday, Aug. 4, exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s showed cyanotoxin levels exceeding the 10-day health advisory thresholds for infants and school-aged children.
Both samples were collected during the morning.
According to the Aug. 9 update, all samples analyzed were below the detection limit for cyanotoxins, however water conditions were poor in some areas and multiple, green surface “scums” were reported.
Midcoast Conservancy personnel are continuing to collect water samples for eDNA testing in an attempt to determine the type of cyanobacteria involved in this latest outbreak.
According to the Damariscotta Lake Watch Facebook page, samples represent a snapshot of conditions at a certain place and time.
Midcoast Conservancy recommends following best practices of avoiding scummy or dense areas, avoiding inadvertently swallowing lake water while swimming, keeping pets from drinking the lake water, and avoiding using lake water for drinking and household use, including showering, cooking, etc.
Midcoast Conservancy staff and collaborators at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences are monitoring the situation and will update the Damariscotta Lake Watch Facebook and Instagram pages as more information becomes available.
For more information about EPA’s cyanotoxin health advisory thresholds go to tinyurl.com/2bkz84v3.
