I am a Lake Anna waterfront property owner since 2012.  We have experienced summers marked by issuance of repetitive VDH No Swim Advisories for the past five years and while frustrating, I am grateful for them as we have nine grandchildren who regularly visit us and the advisories have helped keep them from becoming sick by swimming in (and ingesting) our lake water.  

I believe it is a serious mistake for VDH to change the basis for issuance of swim advisories to toxin cell count level only from the current hybrid cell density and toxin level standard.  Fact is, HABs are a problem at Lake Anna and this change in basis will create a perception by the public and state/local legislators that there is no problem anymore.  The Lake Anna Civic Association (LACA) in collaboration with local and state government offices, is actively engaged in efforts to remediate the excess nutrient conditions that materially contribute to HAB problem at Lake Anna.  No swim advisories are an overt signal that this excess nutrient conditions persists.  

In deference to the safety and well-being of everyone that lives on or recreates at Lake Anna (and every other body of water in Virginia), do not change the swim advisory basis.  It does not infringe on anyone’s ability to take a decision to swim/recreate in the lake despite its issuance…but serves the greater good by providing a warning of the potential effects swimming hold as well as providing a glaring reminder to lake residents and, equally importantly, state and local legislators that the underlying causes of HABs remain unsolved and resources continue to be needed to successfully remediate the excess nutrient presence in the lake that are HABs’ root cause.