(Fremont County, WY) – The Wyoming Department of Health has issued HCB bloom advisories for Ocean Lake and Glendo Reservoir.
A bloom advisory means a harmful cyanobacterial bloom is present in the tested waterway.
The sampling date for Ocean Lake was September 14th, at the Long Point Ramp on South Cove.
The sampling date for Glendo Reservoir was September 9th, at the Cluster Cove Campground.
WDH issues 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.
If you encounter a potential HCB, the Wyoming Department of Health and 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 [email protected] or (307) 777-5522.
Questions regarding cyanobacteria sampling can be directed to Kelsee Hurshman, Natural Resource Analyst, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, at [email protected] or (307) 777-2073.