2-9-04 - A threat to fish in Lake Texoma may have been in the lake longer than experts thought. Golden Algae was discovered in mid-January in the Lebanon pool area of the lake on the Oklahoma side.
The algae kills fish by taking releasing a toxin into the water that removes oxygen. It was the first official discovery in Lake Texoma and the entire state of Oklahoma. But a state official says it may have been there prior to that. In years past there have been reports of fish dying because of a lack of oxygen. Those deaths may have been due to Golden Algae.
State officials on both sides of the lake continue to test water samples. They maintain that the algae is not harmful to people.