Skagit Fairgrounds Testing & Vaccine Site Closed November 15 and 16

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November 15, 2021

The Skagit Fairgrounds Testing & Vaccine Site will be closed on Monday, November 15 and Tuesday, November 16 due to flooding and high winds. The site will reopen on Thursday, November 18 assuming that there are no serious impacts to the area from flooding and high winds.

“It is our priority to protect the health and safety of our staff and volunteers at the Fairgrounds site,” said Jennifer Johnson, Skagit County Public Health Director. “When it is safe to reopen the site, we will do so.” 

Flooding is expected to continue in Skagit County throughout the days of November 15 and November 16. As of 4:00 am this morning, the Skagit River is forecasted to crest in Mount Vernon at 37.46 feet at 10:00 am on Tuesday, November 16. High winds and falling trees are also of concern with the grounds saturated from rainwater.

Due to the Fairgrounds remaining closed on Monday, November 15, appointments for pediatric vaccines will not be made available this morning at 9 a.m. as scheduled. New appointments will be added next Monday, November 22 at 9 a.m. instead.

Those who have scheduled appointments for booster vaccines for November 15 and 16 will be contacted by Public Health, and these appointments will be rescheduled for a later date.

If you are looking for other COVID-19 testing or vaccination options, visit our website at www.skagitcounty.net/coronavirus. Please check with your chosen location in advance to ensure that they are operating.

For more emergency information, sign up for the emergency information listserv, CodeRed Alerts or follow Skagit County on Twitter @SkagitGov. The River Level Hotline (360- 416-1404) and www.skagitcounty.net/flood are updated frequently during events with current conditions and can be resources for information as well.

Immediate closure of Pass Lake: Danger for toxic blue green algae exposure at Pass Lake, Deception Pass State Park

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August 17, 2021

Users of Deception Pass State Park should be aware that Pass Lake in the Skagit County portion of the park is closed until further notice due to high Anatoxin-a levels. Water samples tested this week detected concentrations of Anatoxin-a in exceedance of the state recreational guidelines.

The preliminary result from the King County Environmental Lab is 2,576 micrograms per liter of anatoxin-a present in the water sample taken from Pass Lake. According to the Washington State Department of Health, the level of public health concern for anatoxin-a is 1 microgram per liter. 

Anatoxin-a is an acute neurotoxin that can be harmful to humans and animals. Even short-term exposure is a concern. Signs of Neurotoxin Poisoning appear within 15-20 minutes of ingestion, and may include:

  • In people: numbness of the lips, tingling in fingers and toes, and dizziness.
  • In animals: weakness, staggering, difficulty breathing, convulsions, and death.

Until further testing confirms the toxin levels are back within state recreational guidelines, red “Danger” signs will be posted at the lake advising individuals to keep out of the lake, do not swim, drink lake water, fish, recreate, or allow pets or animals to access the lake.

The toxicity of each bloom can vary and is difficult to predict. Toxicity can change from one day to the next. It isn’t possible to determine how dangerous a bloom is to people and animals by looking at it. Only testing can tell if it is dangerous. Pass Lake will be continuously monitored until the levels drop below recommended guidelines.

The public is encouraged to take the following precautions when choosing a body of water for recreation:

  • Look for signs of toxic algae blooms and pay attention to signage. When in doubt, stay out!
  • Do not swim in, and limit exposure to water that is under a health advisory or is listed as having a toxic algae bloom on the Washington State Department of Ecology toxic algae tracking site.
  • Contact a healthcare provider immediately if you become ill or have symptoms after a suspected exposure to algae bloom.

For questions concerning cyanobacteria blooms within Skagit County lakes, please e-mail Samantha Russell at eh@co.skagit.wa.us or visit the Washington State Department of Health website for Blue-Green Algae. Testing results for Washington Lakes are posted at Washington State Toxic Algae.