UPDATE: The potential bloom had been listed under the “current toxin advisories” tab on the Harmful Cyanobacterial Bloom Advisories website on Tuesday but was instead listed under that “under investigation tab” as of 4:27 pm Wednesday. Oil City has modified the headline of this story to reflect the change.
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality received a report of a potential harmful algae bloom at Alcova Reservoir on Monday.
The Wyoming DEQ lists the bloom under the “current toxin advisories” tab on the Harmful Cyanobacterial Bloom Advisories map online. The DEQ says the potential bloom was reported as near Cottonwood Campground at Alcova Reservoir.
The bloom is the only current advisory listed in Wyoming.
A potential bloom was reported at Kendall Warm Springs on June 17, but the United States Forest Service investigated that report on June 18 and did not find evidence of cyanobacteria.
Another potential bloom was reported at Flaming Gorge’s Buckboard Marina on June 11, but the United States Forest Service investigated that report on June 17 and again did not find cyanobacteria.
Harmful cyanobacterial bloom advisories are issued by the Wyoming Department of Health when blooms are confirmed. The blooms can cause health concerns for both people and animals.
“A Bloom Advisory is issued for a waterbody when cyanobacterial blooms are present,” the Harmful Cyanobacterial Bloom Advisories webpage explains. “A Toxin Advisory is issued for a waterbody when toxin concentrations exceed recreational thresholds. Blooms and toxins may only be present in certain areas of the waterbody and conditions can change frequently.”
Harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs) are “dense concentrations of cyanobacteria, commonly referred to as blue-green algae, that pose a health risk to people, pets, and livestock,” Wyoming DEQ says. “DEQ is working with the Wyoming Department of Health, the Wyoming Livestock Board, and other stakeholders to address HCBs in Wyoming surface waters.”
