LAKE TEXOMA--Though Lake Texoma is still under a blue-green algae advisory, Grayson County officials say it's safe to get in the water. When an algae warning was issued last year, lakeside profits dried up. Now, county officials insist something other than a cell-count test be administered. In the meantime, business owners believe a better summer will surface.
Since the blue-green algae scare last September, most people have avoided the water. Now, county officials and businesses are ready to jump back in.
"Our health department got very involved," Drue Bynum said, Grayson County Judge. "We've done a lot of research. We can unequivocally say that Lake Texoma is open for business."
When the Tulsa district of the US Army Corps of Engineers issued a blue green warning for Lake Texoma, professional striper Chris Stevens' business sank a bit.
"That's my living so I have to keep fishing," Stevens said.
Recently, his catch got bigger.
"Just the other day we caught 18 of them, all 5 to 15 pounds," Stevens said.
Fish may be fatter this season because fewer hooks were in the lake last year. Lakeside businesses and Grayson County officials have been looking for a way to swim out of the algae problem.
Though the Corps downgraded the blue green algae warning to an advisory in December 2011, county officials visited with the CDC in Atlanta Georgia to take it a step further.
"Even by the Corps standards, they say any water activity can happen...including swimming...at Lake Texoma," Bynum said. "As you know, we've had a significant rainfall event that we think that will drive those levels of blue green algae down."
The corps started testing the waters last August.
"They've [algae] always been in Lake Texoma. Certain conditions, like we had last summer, could be more conducive to blue green algae," Paul Balkenbush said, US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental specialist.
The Corps looks at algae cell counts per milliliter according to World Health Organization guidelines. The water is scheduled to be tested again within a week.
"That's our short term forecast," Balkenbush said. "We hope and that we're optimistic that the cell numbers will continue to decline."
Despite the continued advisory, businesses are optimistic.
"We're looking forward to a great year in 2012," Michael Tucker said, owner of Texoma Destinations. "I think we'll have a great year regardless of what the blue-green algae levels are and if it's not there, all the better."
"You know, this is our livelihood down here on Lake Texoma," Stevens said. "Texoma brings in a lot of our business.
Stevens and his friends hope to continue to reel in better business than last year.
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