Closure of Palmer Lake on Key Peninsula lifted after algae bloom lessens; caution advisory continues

The toxic algae closure for Palmer Lake on Key Peninsula has been lifted.

Toxic algae are still present in the water but at reduced levels, acccording to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. A caution advisory is now in place, which means people and pets should avoid areas of the lake—don’t swim, wade or fish—with visible algae.

The closure was lifted Sept. 17. Samples from two days earlier showed a decrease in toxic algae levels and led to lifting the lake closure and changing to a caution advisory. That closure had been in effect since Sept. 4.

Palmer Lake is a small lake near Lakebay surrounded by about 500 homes or cabins, with access to its two beaches limited to residents.

Toxic algae, also known as cyanobacteria, occur naturally in lakes. They can produce toxins that make people, pets, and animals sick. They grow in water that has been contaminated by fertilizer, sewage or animal feces.

The health department will inspect the lake again next week. If the levels remain low and the bloom is no longer there, it will remove the caution advisory.

Find a list of current surface-water advisories at www.tpchd.org/advisories.