Saturday’s Paddle for Life Dragon Boat Races has been canceled due to elevated toxin levels at Vancouver Lake. Instead, the boat races will be replaced with a run/walk.
Initially, organizers planned to hold the boat races but with precautionary measures such as adding makeshift rinsing stations, despite a recommendation Friday from Clark County Public Health to cancel the event.
Public Health told The Columbian the precautions would not be enough to satisfy safety concerns. Then, late Friday, race organizers heeded Public Health’s warning and modified the event for land.
Cyanotoxins, caused by blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can be harmful to people, especially young children, and deadly for small pets, according to Public Health.
The agency upgraded Vancouver Lake to warning status after testing elevated cyanotoxin levels at the lake Friday, which sparked deliberations about the fate of Saturday’s event among race organizers.
Dee Anne Finken, a volunteer with the race who is also handling communications, said Paddle for Life board members discussed the issue for nearly three hours Friday before deciding to host the race with precautionary measures. But once they were made aware that cyanotoxin levels at Vancouver Lake were nearly six times higher than the Washington State Department of Health cyanotoxin threshold, organizers decided to cancel the water portion of the event.
“We realized that this was something that was significant, and they had some science to lead us in this direction,” Finken said.
Public Health spokeswoman Marissa Armstrong said the agency made its recommendation to cancel the race because it could expose paddlers to splashing.
Dr. Alan Melnick, the county’s public health officer, said Friday afternoon that holding the race could expose paddlers to skin irritation, eye irritation, nausea and vomiting, and even kidney and liver damage. He said he wouldn’t force cancellation but wants people to “make the appropriate health decisions” when it comes to water contact during a health warning.
“The bottom line is don’t get exposed in the first place,” Melnick said.
Finken said the cancellation wasn’t an easy decision to make as 38 boats were scheduled to race, the largest number of participants since 2009. But “a close review of Public Health’s concerns” made organizers feel like “this is not a little blip,” in regard to the toxin levels, Finken said.
The modified Paddle for Life festivities will kick off at 8:30 a.m. at Vancouver Lake Regional Park. Water in the park restrooms and shelters is safe to drink. There will be music, a run/walk in the park, team games, trivia competitions and a drawing for gifts donated by local companies and individuals.
Lake status
Public Health has been monitoring blooms of blue-green algae at Vancouver lake since June 12, when the lake was placed under an advisory. Caution signs at the lake have been replaced with warning signs after the upgraded status.
The agency will continue to monitor Vancouver Lake and take weekly water samples as long as blooms are present. When conditions change, signs will be updated.
Health officials recommend: no swimming, water skiing, paddle boarding, kayaking or canoeing; no drinking lake water; no water contact for animals; cleaning fish well and discarding organs; and avoiding areas of scum when using motorized boats.
