Algae blooms discovered

Three algae blooms have been discovered in Sweetwater County, which has prompted Sweetwater County Public Health to issue warnings about the blooms.

The blooms were discovered by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and are located at Firehole Beach in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Eden Reservoir and west of the dam at Big Sandy Reservoir. Samples were collected and the results were not available as of press time.

Sweetwater County Public Health are offering recommendations to residents should they find an algae bloom.

* Avoid contact with water near the bloom.

* Do not ingest water from the bloom.

* Rinse fish with clean water and eat only the fillet portion.

* Avoid water spray from the bloom.

* Do no allow pets or livestock to drink water near the bloom.

* If people, pets or livestock come into contact with a bloom, rinse off with clean water and seek medical attention.

Algae blooms are caused when excessive amounts of algae grow within a body of water. The algae reduce the amount of oxygen, nutrients and sunlight in the water, becoming a hazard for aquatic plants and wildlife. The hazard grows when the algae begin die and decompose, which can release toxins and consume more of the oxygen in the water.

The algae detected within the three Sweetwater County waters are cyanobacteria, the most common strain causing harmful algae blooms in the United States. They are most often referred to as blue-green algae. According to Wyoming DEQ, blooms form when water temperatures increase in still or slow-moving waters or when wind aggregates the bacteria near shorelines.

They can be blue or green in color and look like green water, small grass clippings on the water, scum, floating mats or spilled paint on the surface of the water. blooms can also be attached to plants, rocks or sediment at the in the water.