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State issues harmful-algal-bloom advisory for Utah Lake as cyanobacteria intensifies
Summary
The Utah Division of Water Quality warned of a widespread harmful algal bloom on Utah Lake, described the health risks and the weekly monitoring cadence, and urged people to avoid activities that increase ingestion risk for people and pets.
The Utah Division of Water Quality on Aug. 6 said a harmful algal bloom (HAB) is present across Utah Lake and advised residents to avoid recreational activities that increase the chance of swallowing lake water or exposing children and pets to surface scums. Hannah Water, an environmental scientist with the Division of Water Quality, described the organisms responsible as cyanobacteria and explained when they pose a health risk. Hannah Water said, “Harmful algal blooms are confusing. We call them HABs, harmful algae, blue green algae, and really the most scientifically accurate name is cyanobacteria.” She told the board the organisms naturally occur in every water body but become harmful when concentrations rise from “hundreds of cells per milliliter” to “millions of cells per milliliter,”…
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