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ST. GEORGE — Three years after their discovery, algal bloom toxins in the Virgin River are reported to be at their lowest levels thanks to the high river flows from snowpack runoff.
"The tremendous winter has brought in scouring high runoff, reducing benthic cyanobacteria loads in the major Virgin River tributaries of Zion National Park," the town of Springdale reported in a recent email. "As a result, the park has downgraded the recreational health advisory to Health Watch for all waterbodies in the park."
The change was recorded and reported by the National Park Service, which has taken on the responsibility of monitoring toxin levels in the Virgin River. The park service provides monthly updates with the most recent being May 25. These updates can be found on the Zion National Park and Utah Division of Water Quality websites.
"While I still wouldn't take a swig out of the Virgin River, these are the best advisory levels that we have seen since we started monitoring three years ago," Hannah Bonner, the Utah Division of Water Quality's recreational water quality program coordinator, told St. George News.
