Harmful algae blooms are popping up: What to know
Share this @internewscast.com

PROVO, Utah (KTVX) With the warmer months finally upon us, you may be heading out to enjoy the bodies of water and reservoirs around you. Unfortunately, the warmer temperatures and abundant sunlight you’re hoping to bask in are also fueling harmful algae blooms on the water.

In Utah, local officials have issued several warnings about the algae blooms in the state, particularly on Utah Lake and in Zion National Park. Warnings have been issued for several lakes in Kansas, Nexstar’s KSNW reports. Bodies of water in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio have also been flagged for algae blooms already this year.

The warnings typically advise against drinking water from the impacted lakes or reservoirs, or recreating in or on the water (fishing is often permitted, but anglers should throw away the skin and innards of any fish they’re keeping). Dogs and other pets should also be kept away from the potentially dangerous blooms.

“Avoid touching or disturbing algae mats. Avoid primary contact recreation (swimming and submerging the head) when recreating in [these areas],” the Utah Department of Environmental Quality warns, for example.

What are harmful algae?

Also known as blue-green algae, the blooms aren’t algae at all, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. It is an aquatic bacterium known as cyanobacteria that photosynthesizes like a plant.

The DEQ said these harmful blooms occur naturally in bodies of water all over the world, particularly when nutrient levels are high, there is abundant sunlight, warm temperatures, and stagnant waters.

While not algae, the blooms do partially live up to their blue-green name. They’re often described as pea soup-like, or as having the appearance of spilled green paint, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency explains. The blooms frequently form in parallel streaks along the water’s surface. They can also smell a bit like a swamp, which can be helpful in detecting it when it isn’t as visible.

Green algae blooms are seen at the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam on Lake Okeechobee on July 10, 2018, in Port Mayaca, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

It is more common to see the algae in summer and early fall, but blooms are possible when conditions are right. The cyanobacteria enjoy calm, warm waters, officials with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation explain.

If the conditions are right for several days or even months, cyanobacteria can multiply and form large blooms that can cover an entire lake. Blooms generally die and disappear after about a week or two, according to the DEQ, but toxins can linger for days after a bloom dissipates.

It’s worth noting, however, that not every algae will harm you. Most are crucial to a body of water’s food web, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says. A non-harmful green algal bloom will look more like “floating rafts on the water,” and does not create the harmful toxins seen with blue-green algae.

How harmful are the algae?

Harmful algal blooms can cause irritations and illnesses if you come into contact with them. In the worst cases, harmful blooms have been known to cause permanent organ damage or even death.

Humans and pets that come into contact with harmful algal blooms can experience irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory systems, health officials warn. Accidental ingestion of harmful algae can lead to abdominal pain, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney or liver damage and neurological symptoms.

In dogs and pets, the DEQ says symptoms can include excessive drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, stumbling or muscle tremors, loss of appetite, rashes, difficulty breathing, and, in serious cases, seizures or paralysis.

If your pet has come in contact with the algal bloom, officials said to rinse them off with clean, fresh water as soon as possible, and get away from the source. Should you or your pet begin to experience symptoms of algae contact after being in or near a potentially contaminated source, you may want to contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, your healthcare provider, or your pet’s veterinarian.

Some have opted to treat waterways to prevent the blooms. Officials in Austin, Texas, recently began the final phase of treating harmful algae growth in its Lady Bird Lake.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

FDA Grants Full Approval to Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine for Children

(NewsNation) — Moderna announces it has received full approval from the U.S.…

Inmates Report Unsanitary Conditions with Worms in Food and Sewage by Beds at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Facility

MIAMI – There have been reports of worms found in the food,…

Manager of Historic Hunt Store in Kerr County Promises, ‘We’ll Return’

KERR COUNTY, Texas () The manager of Kerr County’s historic Hunt Store…

UPDATE: United States Suspends Mexican Cattle Imports Again

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect a new suspension…

Elizabethton Relocates Weekly Car Show to Nearby Block

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Elizabethton City Council discussed the Cruise In…

Over 100 Fatalities in Central Texas Due to Flash Flooding: Insights on the Victims

AUSTIN (KXAN) At least 120 people across Central Texas are confirmed dead,…

Augusta Residents Voice Concerns at Charter Review Meeting

AUGUSTA, Ga () – The Charter Review Committee is in the process…

Iliamna Volcano in Alaska Shows Signs of Activity After 100 Years of Dormancy

() A volcano in Alaska that last erupted in 1867 is displaying…

U.S. Prepares for Next Year’s Major Event with Club World Cup Trial

Two of the world’s most renowned soccer teams are set to clash…

Long County Sheriff’s Department Probing Friday Morning Shooting Incident

LONG COUNTY, Ga. () — The Long County Sheriff’s Office is investigating…

UPDATE: I-74E Reopens in DeWitt County After Three-Vehicle Accident

Update at 8 p.m. FARMER CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — Interstate 74 Eastbound…

US Military Intensifies Drone Warfare Following Hegseth’s Orders

WASHINGTON () Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a new directive to…