Though toxins continue to persist in a lake, cleanup is costly and would likely take several years.

South Whidbey’s Lone Lake is shallow and rich in nutrients, increasing its likelihood of developing harmful algal blooms, according to information from staff in Island County’s Natural Resources and Environmental Health departments shared by Public Health Director Shawn Morris.

Testing over time has occasionally found two types of toxins: anatoxin-a, a nerve toxin that acts by paralyzing muscles and can be harmful to health, especially for pets, and microcystin, a common liver toxin that can cause illness like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The state recreational guidance level allows for one microgram per liter for anatoxin-a and eight micrograms per liter for microcystin. When Lone Lake

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