Utah Lake, Jordan River and Canals 2016 Harmful Algal Bloom August - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

August 24, 2016

Jodi Gardberg and Kevin Okleberry Division of Water Quality Utah Department of Environmental Quality

Utah Lake, Jordan River and Canals 2016 Harmful Algal Bloom

Division of Water Quality

• Liver, nerve, or skin toxins
• Selectively produced by many genera but not very predictable
• Widely distributed but not often at acutely toxic levels
• Analyses are available for some but not all of these toxins

Cyanobacteria and their toxins (cyanotoxins)

Dolichospermum (Anabaena)

• Microcystins (liver)
• Anatoxin-a/a(s)

(nerve)

• Saxitoxins (nerve)

Microcystis

• Microcystin (liver)
• Toxin is most

common and easily measured

• 160 congeners

Nodularia

• Nodularin (liver)
• Found in brackish

water including bays

• f Great Salt Lake

Aphanizomenon

• Anatoxin-a (nerve)
• Cylindrospermopsins

(liver)

• Saxitoxins (nerve)

Cylindrospermopsis

• Cylindrospermopsins

(liver)

• Saxitoxins (nerve)
• Benthic/epiphytic rather

than planktonic

Division of Water Quality

• Species Identification and cyanobacteria cell count concentrations – Rushforth

Phycology

• 24 to 48 hour turn around time
• Cyanotoxin pre-screening test strips –
• Day of sampling
• Limited to cylindrospermopsins, microcystins and anatoxin-a (not saxitoxins)
• Cyanotoxin analysis – Greenwater Lab
• 48 to 96 hour turn around time

Types of Analysis

3

Division of Water Quality

UDEQ/UDOH Guidelines for HABs

Toxin Producing Blue- green algae Cell Density (cells/mL) Health Risks Action Recommended Relative Probability of Acute Health Risk <20,000 Negligible None Very Low 20,000-100,000 Short-term effects e.g. skin irritation, gastrointestinal illness Issue caution advisory; Post CAUTION sign; Weekly sampling recommended Low to Moderate 100,000 – 10,000,00 or reports of animal illnesses or death As above for low risk, and potential for long- term illness Issue warning advisory; Post WARNING sign; Weekly sampling recommended Moderate to High >10,000,000

• r

large scum mat layer

• r

reports of human illness; As above for moderate risk, and potential for acute poisoning Issue Danger Advisory; Post DANGER sign; Weekly sampling recommended Consider Closure Very High

Division of Water Quality

Timeline

5

July 13

• Bloom reported

to DWQ

• Large algal mats
• bserved

between Provo Bay and Utah Lake State Park

• First samples

collected July 14

• DWQ collected

additional phytoplankton and toxin samples for analysis

• Large visible mats
• bserved on July

13 had been blown to southside shores

• Aphanizomenon

samples > 10,000,000 cells per mL were confirmed July 15

• Utah Lake closure

issued by Utah County Health Department and Department of Health

• UDAF advisory

issued

• Samples collected

at public access locations, Utah Lake Outlet ,and Jordan Narrows

• Aerial survey

July 16

• Aerial survey

showed algal scum moving into Jordan River

• Algae scums

redeveloping in public access locations

• Utah Poison

Control reports illnesses related to HAB exposure July 17

• Jordan River

samples >700,000 cells/mL Aphanizomenon

• Salt Lake County

Health Department posts “Warning” signs July 18

• Several

municipalities shut down secondary water supply

• Guidance issued

for residential irrigation July 19

• Utah County

Jordan River closure issued

Division of Water Quality

July 13, 2016 Sampling

6

Division of Water Quality 7

July 2, 2016 July 11, 2016

Division of Water Quality

July 15, 2016

8

Division of Water Quality

Utah Lake Closure

Division of Water Quality 10

What About the Jordan River?

Division of Water Quality 11

Division of Water Quality

636 Reported Cases (As of August 1) Human Exposure (504) 81% Recreated in or exposed to Utah Lake Water Animal Exposure (27) 4% 14 dogs (8 UT Co., 5 SL Co., 1 WY) Information only (86) 14%

Utah Poison Control Center

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31% of cases are symptomatic Symptoms Reported: GI: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain Skin: rash and irritation Neuro: headache, dizziness, drowsiness Ocular: irritation

Division of Water Quality

• Utah Water Quality Board Funding -

$100,000

• 3 Open water buoys
• YSI sondes (dissolved oxygen, pH,

temperature, specific conductivity, chlorophyll a, phycocyanin)

• Telemetered real-time data linked to

publicly available I-Utah network.

• Water chemistry and phytoplankton

sampling

HAB Monitoring Network

13

Division of Water Quality

How Does it Compare?

14

July 11, 2016 October 18, 2014

Division of Water Quality 15

How does it compare?

Division of Water Quality

HAB Decision-making Algorithm [Tier 1]

Division of Water Quality

Multiplier effects of temperature & nutrients

17

HABs

Decreased water levels (through demand and precip changes) Increased growing season Increased water temperature Increased internal nutrient loading Increased external nutrient loading

Division of Water Quality

• Publically owned

treatment works (POTWs) (largest)

• Stormwater
• Agricultural runoff
• Natural background

Nutrient Sources

18

Division of Water Quality

Population Growth

200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000 1,600,000 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 1980 1990 2000 2010 2030 2060 Population Estimate Treated Sewage Discharge (MGD) Utah Lake Watershed Wastewater Population Utah Lake Watershed Utah Secondary Standards TBPEL

Utah Lake Basin: 176% Growth

Division of Water Quality

Nutrient Reduction Success: Deer Creek Reservoir

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Deer Creek Reservoir Algal Blooms (1970s) Deer Creek Reservoir Algal Blooms (1990s)

Division of Water Quality

• Scofield Reservoir
• Payson Lakes (Big East, McClellan

and Box lakes)

Other Utah HABS

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QUESTIONS