Mary Alice Reporting –

It’s that time of year again when conditions exist for the presence of hydrogen sulfide gases in lakes.

The Huntington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reporting the first possible release of the colorless gas in the outlet works area of Clendening Lake, in southwestern Harrison County.

H2S is recognized by a rotten egg odor and prolonged exposure can lead to symptoms such as eye, throat, nose, and respiratory irritations.

This problem is normally confined to the area adjacent to the outlet works and is not known to pose a problem to recreational users of the lakes. There is no indication that fish taken from these lakes pose a health risk if consumed.

The Corps does monitor the H2S levels and they note that the hydrogen sulfide forms when microbial activity occurs at the bottom of a lake.

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