By Jude Binkley; KTVB Quagga mussels. TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Crews are on the Snake River working to treat and eradicate quagga mussels. It has been just over two weeks since the invasive mussels were found in a section of the river near Twin Falls. Since then, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has done extensive sampling around the mid-Snake River, finding veligers - the larval form of the mussels - between the Twin Falls Dam area and Centennial Waterfront Park. A plume with an adult quagga mussel was also found near Shoshone Falls. Crews are working to deploy containers full of a copper-based formulation called "Natrix" as a treatment to eradicate the mussels. The ISDA says they are acting fast and aggressively to stop an issue that has…
Magic Valley Times-News The Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir has shown an elevated level of cyanotoxin, according to the Department of Environmental Quality, on Monday. A public health advisory has been issued warning people to avoid contact with the water. Discovery of elevated levels of a cyanotoxin — a harmful algal bloom — at Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir has prompted the South Central Public Health District to issue a public health advisory. Recent tests from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality shows levels of a cyanotoxin, microcystin, are now at unhealthy levels in the reservoir. Exposure to this toxin can be harmful to people, pets, and livestock. When recreating at Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir the public is advised to take the following steps to protect their health: Avoid exposure to water…
BoiseDev After toxins were found in Lake Cascade last month, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is holding an event for the public to learn more about cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, and water quality monitoring at Lake Cascade. Representatives from a host of agencies, including DEQ, Idaho Fish and Game, Central District Health, and Cascade Medical Center will be on hand to answer questions about health effects and water quality. The open house is scheduled for Wednesday, July 13 at the American Legion Hall at 105 E Mill St in Cascade from noon to 6:45 p.m. While toxins were present in Lake Cascade in June, levels didn’t meet the threshold for a health advisory. Exposure to cyanotxins can cause skin irritation and an upset stomach. The toxins can be particularly harmful to…
By Rachel Roberts; Idaho Statesman Photo by Idaho DEQ. Harmful algae blooms can have negative impacts on humans, pets and environments Harmful algal blooms are blooms of species of algae that can have negative impacts on humans, marine and freshwater environments, and coastal economies. Public health officials are asking the public to steer clear of Lake Cascade this weekend. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare cited possible cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in the lake, according to a tweet from the department. Samples are being tested but won’t be available until Monday. “Until then, we recommend people and animals stay out of the water,” the tweet said. Among the largest bodies of water in the state, Lake Cascade is a popular summer recreation area because of its opportunities for fishing,…
I. Using Molecular Methods to Study Cyanobacterial Blooms. This presentation introduces molecular monitoring approaches used in the detection and quantification of cyanobacterial groups and cyanotoxin genes implicated in harmful algal blooms. Results will be presented from next generation sequence analysis and qPCR/RT-qPCR methods to characterize cyanobacterial community structure, associated bacterial community, toxic cyanobacteria, and geographically localized genotypes or species. The methods study cyanobacterial functional genes associated with nutrients in toxin production, their relationship to water quality parameters, and explore drivers of cyanotoxin production using mRNA-based sequence analysis. This presentation also discusses occurrence, distribution, temporal-spatial variations of cyanobacteria, especially toxin-producers, and use as early warning systems for cyanotoxin production. II. Funding Integration Tool for Source Water: Finding a Plan a FITS. With different funding mechanisms available, it can be difficult finding…
By Brad Carlson, Capital Press The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will study the Cascade Reservoir in Idaho to figure out ways to improve its water quality. Cascade Reservoir, near timberlands and meadows about 80 miles north of Boise, is shallow and subject to algae blooms. The blooms are driven by high water temperatures and nutrient levels. It also is known as Lake Cascade. The Snake River Area Office received a $308,200 grant for the pilot project to model the reservoir's operations. The goal is to find operations-related ways to improve water quality. The pilot project will evaluate whether operations at Cascade and nearby Deadwood Reservoir can be coordinated to improve water quality. Operating alternatives will consider “all requirements and constraints” such as physical capacity, irrigation demands, flow augmentation and flood…
