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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A prolonged heat wave in the central U.S. has
fostered the growth of a dangerous form of algae in lakes and
ponds, threatening swimmers and livestock and scaring away tourists
during the busy summer season.
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Blue-green algae are actually bacteria that produce toxins harmful
to humans and livestock. It flourishes in warm, stagnant, sunlit
water, and this year’s heat wave combined with Oklahoma’s worst
drought since the Dust Bowl have created what one water official
called a “perfect storm” for its growth.
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Officials have issued a series of warnings, telling boaters and
swimmers at lakes in northeast Oklahoma, southern Kansas and
Nebraska to avoid contact with the toxic gunk. The issue attracted
national attention earlier this month when Oklahoma Sen. James
Inhofe blamed a respiratory illness on a swim in Grand Lake in
Ketchum Hollow.
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The bad publicity has had dire consequences for some businesses in
Oklahoma, where tourism is the third largest industry with an
estimated annual impact of $6.2 billion. Oklahoma’s numerous lakes
are a “huge economic engine” driving that industry, said Leslie
Blair, a spokeswoman for the Department of Tourism and
Recreation.
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“We took a beating from hell,” said Sam Williams, who sells
everything from water skis to fishing supplies at the Grand Lake
Sports Center in Grove. “My friends at the marinas say their shops
are full to the ceiling with beer that they haven’t sold … all
because a senator went into a bad area in a cove and got a
rash.”
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Williams and some others think the issue has been blow out of
proportion.
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“Every lake has algae,” he said. “It might have been a little worse
this year because the heat came early and it’s been so
hot.”
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Inhofe’s office said the 76-year-old Republican has recovered and
is feeling fine, although the illness forced him to delay his
return to Washington and miss a few votes.
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Problems on Grand Lake have subsided, the Grand River Dam Authority
said. But advisories remained in effect Wednesday for portions of
Keystone, Fort Gibson and Eufaula lakes in Oklahoma, Marion and Big
Hill lakes in Kansas, and Willow Creek Lake in northeast
Nebraska.
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“Anything that has a scum to it and a pea soup look, that’s what
you want to stay out of,” said Ross Adkins, a spokesman for the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Tulsa. “Usually, it’s just the
stagnant areas where you’ll find it. If you’ve got moving water,
you don’t usually find it.”
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Prolonged heat and steady sunlight, combined plenty of nutrients
and a drought that has shriveled lakes, created a “perfect storm”
for algae blooms this year, said Derek Smithee, director of water
quality for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
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“Twenty-eight days of more than 100 degrees is a real factor,”
Smithee said. “You have a lot of sunlight, high temperatures. It’s
a perfect formula for algae production.”
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The algae feed on nutrients that flow into the lakes from
industrial discharge, excess fertilizer and natural soil erosion
and runoff, Smithee said. Without rain, portions of the lakes have
dried up, leaving stagnant pools ideal for algae growth.
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A portion of Keystone Lake where the algae was discovered was cut
off from the main body by the drought, said Elzie Smith, city
manager for nearby Cleveland.
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“It’s nothing more than a big pond right now,” Smith said. “Half of
it’s completely dry, and what’s left, I saw birds standing in the
middle of it. Another week and it will be bone dry.”
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Because the algae thrive in stagnant water, it can be a particular
problem for farm ponds used to water cattle, said David Cantrell of
the Pittsburg County Oklahoma Cooperative Extension
Service.
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“Under normal conditions, the organisms are homogenously suspended
in the water, but as they multiply rapidly, large numbers of dead
organisms float to the surface,” Cantrell said. “Problems occur
when livestock consume water from the bloom area.”
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Toxins from the algae affect the nervous system and liver,
resulting in weakness, muscle tremors, convulsions and even death.
Cantrell said ranchers should check ponds for blooms, fence off
downwind drinking areas and switch to alternative water sources
when temperatures rise and blooms are spotted.
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“With our weather forecast that we have for the next few weeks, we
very likely could see an increase in the blue-green algae,” he
said.
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