Algal bloom appears to be waning


17 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Lake remains closed two weeks after bands of algal blooms infested its waters, and water quality officials are now monitoring a new blue-green algae outbreak at Scofield Reservoir above Price.

Algae at Scofield is in much diminished levels and has not caused the cancellation of any camping, boating or nearby Boy Scout Camp activities, authorities stressed.

"It is really not the toxicity levels that we had at Utah Lake," said Fred Hayes, director of the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.

The parks division did post cautionary advisories at the entrance to the state park. Scientists collected samples Tuesday at the boat harbor, at the Boy Scout camp and at the Price River downstream of the dam. Results should be in late this week.

"It does not appear it is too big of a deal," Hayes said.

The Utah Division of Water Quality briefed Utah Lake Commission members Wednesday morning on the situation playing out at Utah Lake and the Jordan River — what happened and why — and how experts can try to get ahead of the problem.

Walt Baker, division director, had already secured funding for three water quality sondes that can collect data over a long duration and transmit those measurements to water quality scientists.

That information can give his agency more advanced warning that conditions at Utah Lake and the lower Jordan River, for example, are declining to the point where development of algal blooms are an increased risk. Baker added that federal funding will pay for more water quality sondes that can be deployed at other high risk locations such as Farmington Bay.

Sampling results analyzed by the Utah Division of Water Quality indicate blue- green algae is dissipating at most locations in Utah Lake, the Jordan River and associated canals.

A sign indicates the closure of Utah Lake at Lincoln Beach, west of Spanish Fork, on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
A sign indicates the closure of Utah Lake at Lincoln Beach, west of Spanish Fork, on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)

All but one of the samples for cyanobacteria of the Jordan River system showed counts of cells well below the threshold value of 100,000 cells per milliliter.

On Friday, the Utah Department of Food and Agriculture lifted its advisory against the consumption of food irrigated with secondary water from the Jordan River, the lake and canals. That same day, Riverton City turned on its secondary water and Herriman City has resumed supplies as well. City officials there opened the feedback into Blackridge Reservoir, which still remains closed as a precaution as more testing is done. South Jordan also turned on flows to it secondary water on Saturday.

Five major canals that cross through West Jordan and feed secondary systems are back in service as well.

One troublesome spot that remains is that on the southern end at Lincoln Beach, which remains at a count of 10 million or above from the most recent test results.

Aislynn Tolman-Hill, communications director for the Utah County Health Department, said crews collected more water samples on Tuesday and are "cautiously optimistic" the counts will be down.

"The concern is that this has happened so early in the season and the conditions are right: it is hot, there is a direct sunlight and it is stagnant water. Unfortunately, it is a great place for them to grow."

The Utah Poison Control Center said that public concern, like the persistence of the algal bloom, has started to wan.

Since the bloom was first detected July 14 and the news of it spread the following weekend, the center fielded 617 calls, with 504 people exposed and 27 cases involving exposure to animals. The center said 86 calls were information-only, and 30 percent of the exposure cases involved people who reported symptoms such as skin rash, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

Cyanobacteria can produce neurotoxins and liver toxins dangerous to human and animal health.

Two years ago, a family's dog died after romping in Utah Lake water. This bloom, both in size and severity, far surpasses the algal situation at the lake in 2014.

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Amy Joi O'Donoghue

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast