Edina Issues Second Lake Cornelia Health Warning
Edina Mayor Jim Huffland issued a public health warning Thursday for Lake Cornelia, marking the second such advisory this summer due to dangerous blue-green algae levels.
The public should avoid all contact with water in the north and south sections of Lake Cornelia, according to the mayor's announcement. Water samples collected in August and June contained cyanotoxin concentrations above Minnesota Pollution Control Agency standards for swimming and recreational water activities.
The blue-green algae cyanotoxins pose health risks to both people and pets who come into contact with the water, algae, scum or foam. The mayor emphasized that algae conditions can change rapidly and testing results may not reflect real-time water quality.
The Namel Creek Watershed District will continue collecting water samples at Lake Cornelia twice monthly through September. The district will release updated information on cyanotoxin and algae levels as new data becomes available.
Huffland acknowledged the situation's impact on one of the city's most scenic lakes, stating the city will continue working to address the underlying problem while prioritizing public safety.
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Full analysis
- Recurring blue-green algae blooms prompt second warning for Lake Cornelia this summer.
- City officials grapple with persistent cyanotoxin levels in Lake Cornelia exceeding state safety standards.
- Concerns over public health as Lake Cornelia remains potentially unsafe for humans and pets through September.
The water contains blue green algae cyanotoxins at levels that may cause harm to both people and pets.
When in doubt, stay out of that water.
Source document
[0:00] Well, greetings everybody. This is Jim
[0:02] Huffland, your Dynamor, and this is the
[0:04] mayor's minute for Thursday, August
[0:06] 14th, 2025. Well, I'm sorry to report
[0:09] that for the second time this summer, a
[0:11] warning has been issued for Lake
[0:13] Cornelia.
[0:14] The public should avoid contact with the
[0:16] water in the north and south parts of
[0:18] Lake Cornelia. The water contains blue
[0:21] green algae cyanotoxins at levels that
[0:24] may cause harm to both people and pets.
[0:27] So both people and pets should avoid all
[0:29] contact with the water, the algae, the
[0:31] scum, or the foam in those lakes. Water
[0:35] samples collected earlier this month and
[0:36] in June contain cyanotoxin
[0:38] concentrations that are above Minnesota
[0:40] Pollution Control Agency standards for
[0:43] swimming and water recreational
[0:44] advisories.
[0:46] There's a high risk of adverse health
[0:48] risks from algel toxins. These blue
[0:51] green algae conditions can change
[0:52] quickly and testing results may not
[0:55] always reflect real-time conditions. So
[0:57] always remember when in doubt, stay out
[0:59] of that water. The Namel Creek Wershed
[1:03] District will collect water samples at
[1:04] Lake Cornelia twice a month through
[1:07] September and will release updated
[1:08] information on cyanotoxins and algel
[1:11] levels when the data is available. So be
[1:14] careful. I hate to say this, it's one of
[1:17] our prettiest lakes, but if it's not
[1:19] usable, we got to be really careful
[1:20] about using it. And we're going to
[1:22] continue to try to work to fix the
[1:23] problem. This is Jim Hufflin, and that's
[1:25] your mayor's minute for Thursday, August
[1:27] 14th, 2025. I hope you have a great rest
[1:30] of the week and enjoy the few weeks
[1:31] remaining of the summer. We'll see you
[1:33] soon.
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Other Topics from This Document
Lake Cornelia blue-green algae cyanotoxin warning
Public health advisory for Lake Cornelia users and pets
Water quality testing and monitoring protocols
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