Microcystin Data

If you already signed up for our microcystin toxin update emails, thank you! You will start receiving those again next summer. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? They will remind you to check this page to see which lakes have microcystin detected, and at what levels.

Supported by the K21 Health Foundation, we sample 14 lakes and seven public beaches every week from June-August, and 12 streams biweekly year-round. Visit these excellent and educational resources to learn more about blue-green algae:

• The Lilly Center’s ultimate guide to blue-green algae
• Why nutrients cause algae to bloom and weeds to grow
• Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s guidelines

Every October, we publish Beneath the Surface, a report on our summer research as compared to the two previous years.

The 2021 edition will include a spread dedicated to blue-green algae (and microcystin) analysis! If you’re curious about what we learned over the course of the summer, make sure to grab a digital copy.

From June-August, the Lilly Center collects water samples from open water on Kosciusko County’s 12 all-sport lakes and Center and Pike lakes, along with public swimming beaches at these lakes:

• Center
• Pike
• Syracuse
• Waubee
• Webster
• Winona

Samples are processed and analyzed for microcystin, a toxin produced by blue-green algae. If ingested or left on the skin for too long, microcystin can cause health problems for people and pets. It’s especially dangerous for animals, like dogs.

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!

As a general guideline, don’t recreate in water that has a blue-green algae bloom! Blooms often look like a green paint slick on the surface or a pea-soup appearance. If you see a bloom (or aren’t sure if it’s a bloom) email us the date, time, location and a picture and a team member will follow up with you.

Thanks to the support of a generous Lake Wawasee resident, the Lilly Center sampled seven additional sites on Lake Wawasee this summer. All water samples from these sites were tested for microcystin.

Discover more in Beneath the Surface 2021!