Edina residents urged to stay out of local lake amid toxic algae concerns

The city of Edina is urging the public to stay out of Lake Cornelia, where possibly toxic algal blooms were spotted last week.

According to a city press release , officials with the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District observed "a likely blue-green algae bloom in the water," and will get water samples for testing this week.

"As of yet, the levels of blue-green algae are not known, so we advise people and their pets to avoid contact with the water, scum, or algae," the release says.

Officials will continue to monitor the lake and will post updates on the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District website, which you can view right here.

Lake Cornelia, located just south of Highway 62 near Southdale Center and the Galleria, has been facing "challenging water quality issues" for some time. According to watershed staff , this is due to excess nutrients — namely phosphorus — in the water, which is partly the result of stormwater runoff.

About blue-green algae

Blue-green algae blooms can produce algal toxins, which can be deadly to dogs within hours and can make humans sick — with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, rash, eye irritation, cough, sore throat and headache.

This type of algae can have a "thick, cloudy appearance" that can look like green paint, pea soup or floating mats of scum, per the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

If you do happen to make contact with water where such algae is present, state health officials say you should wash off quickly and avoid drinking it. If pets do get in the water, they should be hosed off right away before they can lick themselves clean and ingest the toxins.