Partners

Lake Management

Federal, state and local agencies monitor lakes and reservoirs with high recreational use. When cyanobacteria harmful algae blooms (cyanoHABs) are suspected, these agencies provides OHA with information, including photos of the bloom or cyanotoxin results from water samples. This information is used to put out recreational use advisories. The partners we consistently work with are listed below:

Devils Lake Water Improvement District manages Devils Lake, located in Lincoln County, and does routine visual inspection for cyanoHABs.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality provides OHA with consultation and expertise on water quality and cyanotoxin sampling to protect Oregon's rivers, lakes, streams, and groundwater.

Tenmile Lake Basin Partnership monitors Tenmile Lakes (Coos County) and works to improve water quality in the Tenmile Lakes Watershed.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts limited monitoring on select waterbodies and focuses on education and outreach.

U.S. Forest Service monitors recreational waterbodies on Forest Service land for cyanoHABs.

Photo credit: Ian Waite

Public Health Protection

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works on a national level to educate and promote clean water for healthy swimming in recreational waters. They investigate the impact of cyanobacteria harmful algae blooms on human health. The CDC also tracks illnesses from exposure to blooms.

Washington Department of Health has a harmful algae bloom surveillance program and does toxin testing of blooms in Washington freshwaters.

California CCHAB Network works to identify and address blooms in California as well as their causes/effects.

Shellfish Safety Closures

The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife jointly monitor for marine biotoxins. They issue shellfish safety closures to alert recreational harvesters when clams or mussels have been contaminated.