Toxic algae turns up in Hill County

Toxic algae has turned up at the reservoir of the East Fork Dam on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, after being found earlier in Beaver Creek Park.

Hill County officials re-opened Beaver Creek Reservoir after a bloom discovered Friday had dissipated, the county reported Monday.

Chippewa Cree Business Committee Chair Harlan Baker said this morning that the Rocky Boy Water Resource Department is still doing some monitoring and testing but the reservoir is temporarily closed to public use. He added that Rocky Boy is taking the necessary precautions and that the water is not safe for swimming, boating or other outdoor activities.

The algae is just starting up, Baker said, and will possibly grow with the coming heat of this week.

Toxic algae or cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae, is not uncommon for this time of year nor is it easily preventable. Blue-green algae generally grows in lakes, ponds or slow-moving bodies of water when sunlight, temperature and nutrient levels are high, a release from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality said, and it tends to float and grow on the surface of the water. When blue-green algae floats on the surface and collects into mats it is often called blue-green algae blooms, and, under the right conditions such as warm temperatures, these blooms can grow rapidly.

In most cases in Montana the algae is not toxic, the DEQ release said, with only certain species capable of producing toxins, and even these remain harmless most of the time. Nonetheless, certain blue-green algae can, and have, sickened or killed pets, waterfowl and other animals, including livestock. They can also cause serious illness in humans.

Signs of a toxic bloom may include the presence of dead fish, waterfowl or other animals, or a sudden unexplained illness or death of a pet, especially if it has algae on its mouth, legs or feet. The definitive test for water suspected of harboring toxic algae is to inject samples into a laboratory animal. Harmless strains of algae and active toxic strains look very similar under a microscope.

The DEQ release recommended that people who suspect a bloom in standing waters should keep children, pets and livestock away.

The algae is naturally occurring and also breaks down naturally, if conditions are good.

Hill County closed off Beaver Creek Reservoir Friday from public use due to a blue-green algae bloom, Hill County Public Health Director Kimberly Larson said Monday.

Although, she added, it was not certain that the algae was producing any toxins at the time, the county closed it to use for safety reasons.

The county re-examined the reservoir Monday and most of the blue-green algae had floated onto the shore, Larson said. She said the water is now safe and open to the public for use.

Larson said if anyone spots the blue-green algae they should by no means touch it or be near it and to report it immediately to the county, via phone or the county’s online service.

The algae can be identified by its colors, like pea soup or grass clippings, and an oily ring around the algae, she said.

Larson added there are still caution signs at the reservoir and visitors should be careful.

There have not been any reports of blue-green algae in Blaine County or Liberty County at this time, officials in those counties said.