News of blue-green algae outbreak was greatly exaggerated

A social media post this week warning area residents to keep their pets out of Lake Coeur d’Alene because of a blue-green algae bloom was misleading at best and alarmist at worst, health officials said.

The Facebook post on North Idaho News this week warned of a bloom of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, near Higgens Point on the lake’s north side. The algae produces a toxin that can be deadly to animals and poisonous to kids.

But health officials said it was too early for the algae to bloom and that the north side of Lake Coeur d’Alene is not a place prone to outbreaks of cyanobacteria.

“On the north side of the lake we haven’t seen any algae blooms,” said Kristin Larson, a water quality analyst for the Department of Environmental Quality.

In North Idaho, blooms usually occur in warm, shallow areas of lakes such as Hauser, Cocolalla, the north side of Hayden Lake and Fernan that warm up because of high outside temperatures.

It takes a combination of factors to trigger a bloom: “Warm temperatures in water that is stagnant or slow-moving with a high nutrient content,” Larson said.

When conditions are right, usually in late summer, analysts test the water to monitor it for safety concerns, Larson said.

If it appears cyanobacteria levels are high, the department, in conjunction with the Panhandle Health District, will issue health advisories.

Toxins produced by cyanobacteria can damage the water system, cause fish and plants to die and cause the body of water to smell bad. Cyanotoxins can affect the liver, the nervous system, the skin and may increase tumor growth. Cases of animal deaths have also been linked to cyanotoxins.

“Pets and children are more susceptible,” Larson said. “They ingest the water more than adults.”

There’s an adage that applies to bodies of water like Fernan Lake, at the edge of Coeur d’Alene city limits, which has been hit by outbreaks regularly for the past decade.

“If in doubt, stay out,” Larson said.

Anyone with a concern can notify DEQ or Panhandle Health, which will test the water for outbreaks.

“We’ll come out to verify,” Larson said.

Although fish may be OK to harvest and eat from warm lakes that seem on the edge of a bloom, Larson said anglers shouldn’t touch fish barehanded. They should “stay away from” the fish’s entrails and skin and thoroughly wash the meat.

Larson said the social media post that warned people to keep out of Lake Coeur d’Alene was unfortunate. The best information regarding outbreaks is on the DEQ and Panhandle Health District websites.

“That’s our mission, to protect human health and the environment,” she said.