Summertime in Camas, citizens are hiking around Lacamas Lake trails, and paddling through Round Lake and Fallen Leaf lake, many even go in for a quick swim. Over the years adventures on hot summer days increase in danger. The lake is filled with toxic algae for over a quarter of the year, creating a hazardous environment for humans and animals alike.

Camas is blessed to have 3 beautiful lakes, Lacamas, Round, and Fallen Leaf Lake accessible to all. People like to go there to admire the scenery, walk, run, mountain bike, kayak, fish, swim, and go boating. Long ago Lacamas and Round Lake used to be a river, then became a lake in 1883 when Camas built the Round Lake Dam which raised water levels 12 inches. From then on, the dam is opened once a year to drain the lake for people to clean up trash/litter around the edges. Fallen Leaf lake is relatively untouched.

But there is a problem; the fact that every recent year toxic blue-green algae blooms, capable of killing animals and people if enough is in their system. 

Camas High School (CHS) junior, Morgan Pike said, “in the summertime, I notice a gross green color, it’s never been good but it’s definitely getting worse.”

Many animals swim and drink from the lake, but if they’re getting sick, or even dying from it, there is a problem. People report getting sick from swimming, falling off a paddleboard, or eating the fish without a thorough cleaning, which is another concern.

So why does this happen? In the past 15 years, more and more people are moving to Camas and Vancouver, with rising numbers of neighborhoods being built. Farmers and households use pesticides and oil, which makes its way to the water from cars, buildings, and boats, plus overall pollution and waste piling up over time. 

Junior, Sam Wakimoto said, “when I first moved here, I don’t remember there being that many algae warnings. It’s interesting to see how as the development around the lake area increases so does the pollution of the lake.”

The reason the water is so warm, especially in summer, is because the lake is so unclean. 

CHS Environmental Science teacher, Katelyn Levinick said, “if the water is warmer, the algae can bloom more effectively.”

Some amounts of algae are positive for a lake, but there is a good in-between needed. 

“If no algae were growing, lakes wouldn’t support life,” Levenick said. 

CHS Biology Teacher Cory Marshall said, “algae isn’t a bad thing in a lake…the problem is when you have certain species of algae that are able to grow or some things that look like algae but aren’t, like Cyanobacteria.”

In January 2020 the first algae bloom happened in the winter. These algae blooms occurred in both Lacamas Lake and Fallen Leaf Lake. 

Lacamas, Fallen Leaf, and Round Lake are very beautiful bodies of water with amazing histories. Although there have been some problems with it, many community members spend a lot of their time around these lakes. To help fix these problems, the city of Camas needs to work on preventative measures to keep it from getting worse, for the environment and the community.