Harmful algae blooms pop up in Utah Lake, Zion National Park
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality has about harmful algae in Utah's water, particularly on Utah Lake and in Zion National Park.
Harmful algae have reportedly been found in the middle of Provo Bay at Utah Lake, prompting officials to warn residents not to drink the water. Residents are also advised not to swim, paddle or water ski in areas of algae and to keep dogs and other pets away from the blooms. It is OK to fish in the water, but be sure to throw away any skin and guts.
The North Creek and Virgin River areas in Zion National Park have also seen an increased bloom of harmful algae, according to the Utah DEQ.
'Avoid touching or disturbing algae mats. Avoid primary contact recreation (swimming and submerging the head) when recreating in [these areas],' the DEQ warns. 'Do not drink in-stream water anywhere in the park. If you must filter water, do so directly from a spring source.'
Also known as blue-green algae, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality said the blooms are not actually algae at all. It is an aquatic bacterium known as Cyanobacteria that photosynthesizes like a plant.
The DEQ said these harmful blooms occur naturally in bodies of water all over the world, particularly when nutrient levels are high, there is abundant sunlight, warm temperatures and stagnant waters.
If the conditions are right for several days or even months, cyanobacteria can multiply and form large blooms that can cover an entire lake. Blooms generally die and disappear after about a week or two, according to the DEQ, but toxins can linger for days after a bloom dissipates.
Harmful algal blooms can cause irritations and illnesses if you come into contact with them. In the worst cases, harmful blooms have been known to cause permanent organ damage or even death.
Humans and pets that come into contact with harmful algal blooms can experience irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, throat and respiratory systems. Accidental ingestion of harmful algae can lead to abdominal pain, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney or liver damage and neurological symptoms.
If your pet has been exposed to harmful algal blooms, the DEQ advises looking for symptoms such as excessive drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, stumbling or muscle tremors, loss of appetite, rashes, difficulty breathing and in serious cases, seizures or paralysis.
DEQ said if you or your pet comes into contact with a harmful algal bloom, rinse off with clean fresh water as soon as possible and remove yourself from the source. You are also encouraged to call the Utah Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222, as experts trained in toxicology can answer any questions and advise you on medical or veterinary treatment.
To stay up to date on the latest reports of harmful algal blooms in Utah's bodies of water, visit the
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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Efforts to reduce toxic algae in Lake Erie appear to be making progress. Now they face budget cuts
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Politico
11-07-2025
- Politico
Dentists are struggling to counter RFK Jr. on fluoride
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Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Pawsome' news, pet lovers: Utah State's weeks away from launching state's 1st 4-year ‘animal doc' program
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That regional partnership, which is expected to sunset in 2028 when the USU/WSU program's final cohort graduates, 'has given us a great foundation of experience in delivering the first two years of the veterinary medicine degree curriculum — and now to build upon as we launch our full four-year program,' said Vanderwall. The dean added USU has designed 'a completely new veterinary curriculum' that is 'systems-based and highly-integrated.' When asked why a state with a historically rich ranching and livestock sector has not produced fully trained animal docs in the past, Vanderwall gives a simple answer: money. More than a century ago, trustees of Agricultural College of Utah — as USU was then known — first envisioned a veterinary school headquartered in Cache Valley, according to USU. Then in the late 1970s, Utah State conducted a study that determined that establishing an in-state veterinary medical training program was not yet feasible 'from a financial and economic standpoint' — but that it would be in the future. Decades later, USU began its '2+2' partnership with Washington State University. Then, in 2022, the Utah Legislature approved funding of what would become the state's first four-year DVM degree program based at USU. Lawmakers, observed Vanderwall, recognized the success of the USU/Washington State partnership in training animal doctors who are now providing professional services in almost every Utah county. 'The '2+2' program has helped to produce and establish more veterinarians for the state of Utah — and that will be further expanded with the full four-year program at Utah State University, helping to fill the need for more veterinarians.' The curriculum at USU's doctor of veterinary medicine degree program will depart a bit from a traditional course-based syllabus. 'It will be a systems-based integrated curriculum. When we are, say, teaching the anatomy of the musculoskeletal system, our students will also be learning physiology,' said Vanderwall. 'We're connecting the structure and the function — all taught together in the same course, rather than in distinctly separate courses.' Expect AI to become an integral part of the USU's veterinary medicine education, the dean promised. Additionally, USU's future DVM students will have opportunities to work at community-level private practices — including in rural areas of Utah where veterinary care for food animals is in critical demand. Day-to-day clinical cases in the community will expose USU students to what they will encounter in private practice after they graduate, said Vanderwall. 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'It's being designed for a lot of hands-on clinical training such as clinical communication,' said Vanderwall. 'We will have mock examination rooms in the new building where students will be interacting with simulated clients who play the role of the pet owner, interacting with our students in a mock exam room.' Immediately adjacent will be observation rooms for faculty and fellow students to evaluate and learn together. For a growing number of Utahns, enjoying access to well-trained veterinarians is essential. In recent years, Vanderwall has witnessed 'a huge increase' in pet ownership — a trend accelerated by the pandemic. Those increased connections and dependencies between humans and companion animals are elemental to today's society. 'All of that ties into why there is a tremendous need for more veterinarians across the entirety of the veterinary profession — including small animal/companion animal practice, mixed-animal practice and ag-rural food supply veterinary practice,' said Vanderwall.
