It's so hot!

Off to the lake to beat this heat this weekend? Before you go, make sure that your local lake or reservoir does not have any current algae bloom warnings. Algae blooms are known to cause illness in humans and pets and can cause a fish die-off or “dead-zone” if they grow too large. Algae blooms occur more frequently in warm weather though no one is quite sure what triggers an algae bloom to become intense. Fertilizer runoff and other man-made chemicals seeping into waters have been thought to be one cause, heat and other natural causes such as slow moving water can be another.

To keep you and yours safe as you head to the lake, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment posts warnings of algal blooms and what to look for if you suspect the water may be a cause of a recent illness.

What is an algae bloom?
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm

Check here! Current warnings for Kansas waters:
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/algae_advisories.htm

Signs that will be posted if waters have an advisory warning:
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/download/BGA_Signs.pdf

Examples of what blue-green algae blooms look like:
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/download/BG_Algae_Examples.pdf

Illnesses you could get if you are exposed to algae blooms:
http://www.cdc.gov/hab/cyanobacteria/facts.htm

The Response Plan from KDHE for algal blooms:
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/download/BGA_Response_Plan.pdf

When algae go wild, macro-algal bloom on the Yellow Sea:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/07/pictures/110725-algae-china-beaches-qingdao-swimming-science-environment-world/

Article contact: Kim Harp