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Update On Toxic Algae In Lake Olmstead

The thought of taking your dogs to the lake to cool off in this extreme heat sounds nice... but not once you hear about cyanobacteria. This is the blue-green algae that is toxic to animals and has caused quite a few dog deaths within the last week.

On Monday, testing was done on Lake Olmstead-- and it was positive for cyanobacteria. This particular algae bloom especially in hot weather... and since it's been hot for quite a while, the algae will continue to grow.

The Executive Director of Savannah Riverkeeper, Tonya Bonitatibus says, "It's brutally hot out. The water isn't moving. This lake is way too shallow and it's now breeding different types of algae." She also points out one sign of algae growth is bubbles on the surface of the water.

There's no indication of when the algae will die out. Bonitatibus says one of two things will need to happen-- it has too cool down, or the algae needs to run out of its food source (nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus-- found in storm runoff or fertilizer, along with other things).

While the lake is safe for kayaking and canoeing, you may notice a particular odor. At this point-- your best bet is to keep your dogs away from the lake. Maybe try a baby pool or sprinkler at home instead?

(WRDW)


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