Blooms at the lake

Wyoming DEQ issues recreational warning due to Agal blooms

On the afternoon of Aug. 28, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a recreational warning for four lakes in southern Wyoming, including Saratoga Lake, due to hazardous cyanobacterial (blue-green algae) blooms (HCB) or harmful algal blooms.

According to the Wyoming DEQ, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) reported a potential harmful algal bloom in Saratoga Lake on Aug. 26. Wyoming DEQ visited the reservoir on Aug. 28 and collected water samples along the west shoreline near the southern part of the campground. The results of 20,000 cells per milliliter led to the DEQ issuing the recreational warning.

The Wyoming DEQ, Wyoming Department of Health and the Wyoming Livestock Board (WLB) have issued an informational flyer about harmful algal blooms and what people should look for available at www.wyohcbs.org/resources.

There are various ways to tell if a body of water is affected by an algal bloom and include water turning a blue-green color. HCBs will look like spilled paint, grass clippings or blue-green scum and leave a blue-green scum on the shoreline.

The Wyoming DEQ and WLB recommend avoiding contact with water in the vicinity of the bloom, especially in areas where the HCBs are dense and form a scum. Do not ingest water from the bloom; boiling, filtration or other water treatments will not remove the toxins in the water. Any fish caught in a body of water where HCBs are present should be rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion of the animal should be eaten.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is predicted that increasingly warmer summer seasons may result in more frequent algal blooms. The warmer temperatures prevent water from mixing, which allows the algae to grow thicker and faster, making it easier for small organisms to move through and allowing the algae to float to the surface faster. Additionally, the algal blooms absorb sunlight and continue warming the water which promotes more blooms.

If people or pets come into contact with HC they rinse off with clean water as soon as possible and contact a doctor or veterinarian. The toxins present in a harmful algal bloom can cause rashes, fatigue or disorientation with symptoms showing anywhere from hours to two days after contact. In extreme cases, contact with toxins may lead to the deaths of pets, livestock or wildlife.

The other lakes included in the recreational warning include Wheatland Reservoir No. 3, Toltec Reservoir north of Laramie and Leazenby Lake south of Laramie.

 

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