Wyoming Department of Health Issues New Harmful Cyanobacterial Bloom (HCB) Recreational Use Advisories

Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality sent this bulletin at 08/26/2022 11:16 AM MDT

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Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality

Wyoming Department of Health Issues New Harmful Cyanobacterial Bloom (HCB) Recreational Use Advisories

The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) has issued a harmful cyanobacterial bloom (HCB) recreational use Bloom Advisory for Bighorn (Yellowtail) Reservoir, Ocean Lake, and Pathfinder Reservoir based on data provided by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The WDH is working directly with resource management agencies to ensure that signs are posted at all waterbodies with advisories. Additional details regarding advisory status, including changes to the type of advisory, and other HCB resources can be found at WyoHCBs.org. 

The WDH issues recreational use advisories when cyanobacterial cell densities or cyanotoxin concentrations pose a risk to people engaging in swimming or similar water contact activities in areas where cyanobacterial blooms occur. HCBs may also pose a health risk to animals. Bloom Advisories are issued when a HCB is present and toxins may be present. Toxin Advisories are issued when cyanotoxins exceed recreational thresholds. Waterbodies under an advisory are not closed since HCBs may only be present in certain areas and conditions can change frequently. Advisories will remain in place until blooms have fully dissipated and cyanotoxin concentrations are below recreational use thresholds identified in Wyoming's HCB Action Plan.

If you encounter a potential HCB, the Wyoming Department of Health and the Wyoming Livestock Board recommend the following:

  • Avoid contact with water in the vicinity of the bloom, especially in areas where cyanobacteria are dense and form scums.
  • Do not ingest water from the bloom. Boiling, filtration and/or other treatments will not remove toxins.
  • Rinse fish with clean water and eat only the fillet portion.
  • Avoid water spray from the bloom.
  • Do not allow pets or livestock to drink water near the bloom, eat bloom material, or lick fur after contact.
  • If people, pets, or livestock come into contact with a bloom, rinse off with clean water as soon as possible and contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Questions about health effects and recreational use advisories can be directed to Courtney Tillman, Surveillance Epidemiologist, Wyoming Department of Health, at courtney.tillman@wyo.gov or (307) 777-5522. Questions regarding cyanobacteria sampling can be directed to Kelsee Hurshman, Natural Resource Analyst, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, at kelsee.hurshman1@wyo.gov or (307) 777-2073.

Current HCB Recreational Use Advisories*

Waterbody Name Observation or Sampling Location(s)    Advisory Type   Date Issued
Big Sandy Reservoir East Dam Bloom 07/14/2022
Bighorn Reservoir Cottonwood Creek Ramp Bloom 08/26/2022
Boysen Reservoir Lake Side Ramp, Brannon Ramp Bloom 07/21/2022
Brooks Lake Boat Ramp Bloom 08/04/2022
Diamond Lake Northwest Access Bloom 07/28/2022
Eden Reservoir South Outlet Toxin 08/09/2022
Fontenelle Reservoir West-Central Ramp Bloom 08/17/2022
Flaming Gorge Reservoir Firehole Canyon, Buckboard Ramp Bloom 08/04/2022
Gillette Fishing Lake South Shore Bloom 06/08/2022
Glendo Reservoir Sandy Beach Dune Campground Bloom 07/26/2022
Goshen Hole Reservoir Northwest Ramp Toxin 07/28/2022
West Granite Springs Reservoir West Causeway Bloom 07/28/2022
Keyhole Reservoir Rocky Point Bloom 07/28/2022
Lake Viva Naughton Southeast Cove Bloom 08/17/2022
Leazenby Lake South Access Toxin 08/09/2022
Miller Lake Northwest Shore Bloom 08/01/2022
Ocean Lake Long Point Ramp Bloom 08/26/2022
Pathfinder Reservoir Bishops Point, Diabase Marina Bloom 08/24/2022
Rainbow Lake Southeast Shore Bloom 08/04/2022
Saratoga Lake East Beach Bloom 07/28/2022
Sloan Lake South Beach Bloom 08/04/2022
Toltec Reservoir West Ramp Bloom 07/20/2022
Upper Brooks Lake East Shore Bloom 08/04/2022
Upper Jade Lake South Shore Bloom 08/04/2022
Wheatland Reservoir Number 3 Northwest Ramp Bloom  07/28/2022
Woodruff Narrows Reservoir North Ramp Bloom 07/20/2022

*There may be additional waterbodies with cyanobacterial blooms in Wyoming that WDH is not aware of. Please report such blooms to WDEQ.