Heat wave fosters toxic algae in touristy lakes

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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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