Microcystin Data
From June-August, the Lilly Center collects water samples from open water on Kosciusko County’s twelve all-sport lakes and Center and Pike lakes, along with the public swimming beaches at Center, Pike, Syracuse, Waubee, Webster and Winona lakes. Samples are processed and analyzed for microcystin, a blue-green algae toxin relevant in the county. Toxin results are updated on this page every week during the summer. To learn more about microcystin and pet and human health, visit our blue-green algae research hub and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) blue-green algae informational site.
As a general guideline, refrain from recreating in water undergoing a blue-green algae bloom! This will often look like a green paint slick on the surface or a pea-soup appearance.
We’ll resume weekly lake sampling and sample analysis in June, 2021!
We sample 14 lakes every week from June-August, and 12 streams biweekly year-round. While you wait for lake data, visit these excellent and educational resources:
Exposure Thresholds
These numbers are the state standard according to IDEM. Caution should be used if the amount of microcystin in a body of water is at or exceeds the levels below.
Lilly Center algae sampling and analysis are coordinated with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to ensure statewide data comparison and accuracy.
