The Kansas Department of Health and Environment Thursday released the results of water samples taken at Milford Lake on August 3rd, and according to the samples they have placed Zones A and C into “warning” statuses and Zone B into a “watch”.

RJ Harms, Corps of Engineers Project Manager at Milford Lake explained that the microcystin toxin levls were low in Zones A and B but the cell counts were elevated.

“Really the only reason that Zone A was in a warning this week is the cell counts at the Milford State Beach came back pretty high, a little over 400,000 cell count and new this year the level for a warning level is 250,000,” said Harms.

The cell counts were the only counts that were in the warning level with the microcystin toxin counts barely breaking into the watch level according to Harms.

As a result of the “warning” status in Zone A, designated beaches operated by the Corps of Engineers and Milford State Park will be closed until further notice.

With the “Warning” status body contact with the water (swimming, skiing, tubing, jet skis) will be strongly discouraged but wording on the signs provided for 2015 will not prohibit the activity.