Wagon Train Lake has been deemed safe again after a health alert was issued last month because of high levels of harmful algal blooms in the water, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Boating and fishing were allowed during the closure, but now visitors will be able to swim and bring their pets near the water.Â
The bloom is caused by a toxic strain of blue-green algae that causes levels of the chemical microcystin to reach dangerous levels.Â
Weekly sampling has been conducted in lakes across the state since May. The Game and Parks Commission recently lowered its safety threshold for microcystin from 20 parts per billion to eight in order to align with new Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
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Unsafe microcystin levels were found this week in Maple Creek Recreation Area Lake in Colfax County and Kirkman’s Cove Lake in Richardson County, leading to restrictions there.