NAMPA, Idaho — I joined the Idaho DEQ at Lake Lowell during a water quality check. Following the intense heat of 2024, waterbodies and state agencies are preparing for cyanobactria blooms.
- Many things can be indicators of cyanobacteria blooms including foam, an opaque presence in the water, or blue remnants on the shore.
- Cyanobacteria loves stagnant water and heat, which we're all very familiar with in 2024.
- Information from the DHW can be found at the Idaho Recreational Water Health Advisories and from the DEQ at the Idaho DEQ Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Bloom Information
- Report suspicious water at algae@deq.idaho.gov
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
On the shores of Lake Lowell local scientists with the DEQ are preparing for the presence of late summer algae blooms. I got to tag along and learned the search for cyanobacteria begins on the shoreline.
"Looking for things like this foam, is it good, is it bad? On its own the foam is not an indicator of cyanobacteria," says DEQ water quality scientist Dani Terhaar.
Some indicators could be water that presents opaque, similar to spilled paint.
"One of the most definitive signs is blue staining along the shores here where the waves would be coming up. The cells die and release the blue part of the blue green algae," Terhaar explains as we search the sand.
Cyanobacteria loves stagnant water and heat, which we're all very familiar with in 2024.
"How is that a causal factor to cyanobacteria and the warnings that go out?" I ask of the heat.
"There are a few ingredients that set the stage for cyanobacteria. Stagnant water, loss of nutrients, and, of course, heat and sunlight. Because we've had so many days in a row of hot, hot heat, that puts us on high alert that a bloom could occur," Terhaar said.
After visual check on the shore, DEQ tests the water for sampling in a lab.
"We target where people recreate and the bloom could be strong and we can just collect a sample, observe the water that we see," Terhaar explains.
And a jar test. A simple test that any person recreating in the water can do.
"I've collected a sample of some suspicious water to explore for cyanobacteria. So you can see it's really slimy, gunky, I'm shaking it up to get it all mixed up and all the cells separated."
Scientists can learn a lot by studying how the samples separate.
Cyanotoxins come from cyanobacteria — good guys in the aquatic ecosystem, bottom of the food chain.
"We say harmful algal bloom when there is high enough cyanotoxin concentration present that it could be harmful to peoples' health," Terhaar describes.
That's because neurotixins, hepatoxins, and dermotoxins from the cyanotoxins affect your liver, skin, and digestive systems. Yearly algae blooms lead to yearly alerts from the Department of Health and Welfare to stay out of affected bodies of water that are popular for local recreation. The state agencies work in tandem to test and inform through press releases and social media.
Local authorities will also post advisories and warnings if algal blooms are happening, or could be happening, on their information boards.
But what about our jar test?
"The water is separating out and most of the material is sinking to the bottom," Terhaar said. "The cyanobacteria would float to the bottom make a green, blue-green, mat at the top."
