Wyoming Warns Residents To Avoid Contaminated Reservoir Water Amid Algae Bloom Outbreak
It's not new, as this happens often, but keep it in mind if you're heading to any of Wyoming's reservoirs, especially Glendo Reservoir, for the weekend.
At Glendo, a Toxin Advisory is in place for several locations. Including the Marina and Custer Cove Campground. A Toxin Advisory is issued when toxin concentrations exceed recreational-use thresholds.
At Alcova, Pathfinder, Seminoe, Boysen, and several other locations, a Bloom Advisory is also in effect for the entire reservoir. A Bloom Advisory is issued when cyanobacteria blooms are present.
HERE is a list of all of the affected areas around Wyoming.
According to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality:
Harmful cyanobacteria blooms (HCBs) are dense concentrations of cyanobacteria (photosynthetic single-celled microscopic organisms) that pose a health risk to people and animals. Cyanobacteria are commonly referred to as blue-green algae because they look very similar to algae. For this same reason, HCBs are commonly referred to as harmful algal blooms or HABs.
During this period, it is recommended that you:
- Don't swim in the affected areas
- Don't drink water from the bloom. Even if boiled, filtered, or treated in any way, it will not make it safe.
- Rinse fish you catch with clean water from another source, and eat only the fillet.
- Avoid being sprayed
- Keep your pets and livestock away from the water. Don't let them drink, eat the bloom, or lick their fur if they come into contact with the affected water.
This doesn't mean you can't visit the parks; you just need to enjoy the parts that don't involve the water.
- Hiking
- Biking
- Camping
- Bird/ Big Game Viewing