07/15/2025
Reposted from the Lake Shafer Association page:
Lake Shafer Association
Rick Stetler · 50m ·
HIGH TOXIN LEVELS IN LAKE SHAFER
I’ve only lived on this (or any) lake for 8 years, so when people say “We’ve seen this before and we swam in it”, it does concern me. I don’t have a relevant past to compare. I also know that I’ve talked to many people who have lived on the lake for years and they say they’ve never seen it this bad. However, THE REPORTS FROM THE LAB ARE NOT GOOD!
I am attaching a subset of the lab report for those who want to know more, but basically the items circled on the lower page of this report indicate the toxins produced by this algae can be harmful to humans, and especially to pets. Exposure to algal toxins can cause gastrointestinal distress, confusion, dizziness, vomiting, and in rare cases death.
Many are asking why it is so bad this year? Basically this algae lives in the sediment at the bottom of the lake and is always present in small saturations. Three factors have changed and made this worse. First, because our lake is cleaner/clearer now than it was in the past, the sun now reaches the bottom in more surface area. Second, this algae multiplies more in intense heat and sunlight. And finally, many of the fertilizers used in crops and lawns contain phosphorus which collects in the sediment and which promotes algae growth. I don’t think we can or want to change the first two factors. And it will take an act of Congress or God to change the third one. So there isn’t really anything we can do except hope for a good rain and lower temperatures. At this time of year and with these conditions, it is almost impossible to get these algae blooms under control.
Warnings about lake recreation being hazardous have been issued by White County Alert, DNR, and IDEM (Indiana Dept of Environmental Management) . This lab study confirms that these warnings are real and the situation is not good. It is especially dangerous if you swim in areas with the multicolored “scum” on the surface , similar to the picture beliow.
Another thing I keep hearing is that people are seeing more dead fish. This is due to toxin exposure or low oxygen. The algae utilize the oxygen to photosynthesize overnight. Typically larger fish die first due to oxygen related issues, and smaller fish die later due to the toxins.
Sorry to have to provide this bad news, but i feel it is best that everyone is as accurately informed as possible. Basically, all we can do is wait it out.
