Are harmful algal blooms affecting local waters?

STATEWIDE — A new website created by the California Water Quality Monitoring Council hopes to provide the public with information on the health and effects of California Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in California waterways.

My Water Quality website (mywaterquality.ca.gov) provides users timely information on HABs in lakes, reservoirs, rivers and marine waters in an easy-to-understand format.

“We are pleased to collaborate with our state partners in developing the California Harmful Algal Bloom Portal,” said Steven Moore, member of the State Water Resources Control Board. “Supporting better decision making with timely and accessible information is vital to the protection of public health and California’s natural resources.”

Warm temperatures, increased nutrients, and low water flows aggravated by drought conditions and climate change are favoring toxin-producing cyanobacteria and algae; and a number of lakes, reservoirs, and river systems are suffering blooms as a result, according to a statement release by the California Water Quality Monitoring Council.

Toxic blooms are threatening drinking water supplies and causing wildlife and domestic animal deaths. In humans they can cause a wide range of symptoms, from rashes and allergic reactions to liver damage and even death.