DUNES CITY, Ore. - Hundreds of people living on the shores of a central coast lake are scrambling to find clean water.

The reason is a toxic algae bloom at Siltcoos Lake.

It would make for a great Hollywood movie..."Revenge of the Turquoise Blob." Too bad for residents, this toxic blob is for real.

"Just a blob; it just slides off," says Arnold Pitts as he tries to use a boat oar to scoop some algae out of the water.

Arnold and Kathie Pitts have lived on the shores of Siltcoos Lake for the last 15 years. Until this past weekend, the only algae they've seen is plain green.

"It looks like a bright blue turquoise paint spilled on top of the water. It floats," explains Arnold Pitts.

Test results confirm that Siltcoos is host to an outbreak of a toxic algae bloom. The blue-green blobs are poisonous. The Dunes City mayor authorized a telephone notification of all residents near the lake last night (Monday) to warn them of the danger.

City Councilman and Water Quality Control Chairman, Richard Koehler, tells KVAL, "One of the things that the website is trying to encourage is that people don't go into the water. Pets don't go into the water and that there's no drinking of the water."

Officials say no filtration, boiling or other treatment will remove the toxins. People on well water can still use that source, but everyone else has to find other clean water. "We're hauling water but we're lucky that we can because we have a motor home. Not everyone can do that," says Arnold's wife, Kathie Pitts.

Richard Koehler says a combination of water conditions and temperatures, old septic systems and urban development may have set off this algae stew.

Cooler water temperatures and time will help dissipate this algae outbreak, but long term, officials say they'll need help from outside agencies, especially the state.

Water Quality Committee member, Ralph Farnsworth, explains, "So far the DEQ knows what's going on but we haven't seen too much help from the state here. If it's going on, we don't know about it."

And while they have water in the motor home, Kathie Pitts says it's clearly been a scary situation. She adds, "You don't know what's going to happen. You know we've got a major investment here."

In an informal meeting with the Pitts', Richard Koehler tells them, "We're doing our best," and Arnold Pitts replies, "Well, I know you guys are working hard at it. It's been an issue before this happened and now it's going to be a bigger issue."

It's estimated about 300 people depend on Siltcoos Lake for their drinking water.

So far, nearby Woahink Lake does not have the toxic algae.
The Lane County Sheriff's Office has been in contact with the Oregon Marine Board. Signs have been posted at the lake notifying the public of the situation. However, the lake remains open to boaters at this time.