Recently, there has been a growing concern about harmful algal blooms in a number of local lakes and ponds.
Blue-green algae is very common in bodies of water, and it is important for the ecosystem.
However, too much of it can create harmful blooms.
These blooms are not always easy to spot, but there are a few things to look out for.
"It can look like somebody maybe spilled bright green paint in the water, it can look like there is grass clippings in the water, it can make the water look like pea soup," said Weston Fettgather, an environmental scientist with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.
Harmful algal blooms thrive off of stagnant water, heat, and too much nitrogen or phosphorus.
Exposure to toxic algal blooms can cause symptoms for humans and pets, such as skin irritation, nausea, vomiting, and more.
The Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force is consistently doing testing and wants people to double check bodies of water before entering.
"We recommend looking at the HAB dashboard that is on our website, before you go out recreating. It has a list of the water bodies that are on there so you can look those up to see what advisories are in place for that area."
To access the Harmful Algal Blooms dashboard, use this link Harmful Algal Blooms (EH) - Nevada Public Health | The Office of State Epidemiology (nvose.org).
If you would like to report a Harmful Algal Bloom finding, take a picture of it, and send an email to wfettgather@ndep.nv.gov.
