BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) -People who use Lake Champlain will be able to monitor outbreaks of the sometimes-toxic blue-green algae on a Web site maintained by the Vermont Health Department.

The Web site will be updated weekly on a map that will provide the location and severity of the blooms.

The map identifies areas of the lake that are generally safe, low alert, when caution is advised, and high alert, an area considered hazardous.

“We were not aware of the potential problems with blue-green algae until the late 1990s,” said Dr. Mary Watzin, director of the University of Vermont Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory. “But as people have become more aware of the blooms and the health risks, we have seen a sharp increase in public concern and questions.”

On Wednesday the only area of the lake that contained an alert was the southern edge of Missisquoi Bay in Highgate.

Some kinds of blue-green algae produce natural toxins or poisons that can be harmful if swallowed, and skin contact can cause rash or irritation. Children and dogs are especially vulnerable because they are more likely to drink the water.

No human cases of illness related to blue-green algae in Lake Champlain have been documented, but during the summers of 1999 and 2000 two dogs died after drinking large amounts of water from a toxic blue-green algae bloom.

On the Web

http://www.healthyvermonters.info/hp/waterquality/bgalgae.shtml

AP-ES-07-20-05 1836EDT