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People warned to be careful at Cow Creek Reservoir
Blaine County has posted its first signs warning people to use extreme caution at Cow Creek Reservoir southwest of Chinook, where it has first reported possible toxic algal bloom leading to the death of a young dog.
Blaine County Sanitarian Ron Andersen said the Blaine County Health Department first posted warnings over the weekend after people reported blue-green algae at the reservoir, and the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office posted five warning signs, one at each access point.
Andersen said as soon as blooms are reported, the county will post warnings.
The blooms don’t always produce toxins, but “We assume if the algae is there we need to take precautions,” he said.
A release from the state Department of Environmental Quality said the bloom was first reported Sunday when a woman alerted county officials her 10-month old puppy died after drinking water from the outflow below the reservoir.
DEQ reports a water sample tested positive for microcystin, a known liver toxin, at or above the advisory level for recreation.
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Blaine County Health Department all strongly recommended that people stay out of any water where algal blooms are seen.
Children and animals are most at risk because they can accidentally ingest the water as they spend time wading in shallow water where the algae tends to accumulate, the DEQ release said. Pets and livestock should also be kept away from water that has an algal bloom.
These types of algal blooms are native to freshwater lakes and reservoirs in Montana. They tend to grow in warmer water and where there’s an increase in nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from a variety of human activities. The algae blooms float on the surface of the water and may look like pea soup, grass clippings, or green latex paint.
Andersen said this is the first toxic algal bloom he is aware of in Blaine County, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t occurred before.
“As people become aware of what they’re looking for what a blue algae bloom looks like we might get more reports,” he said.
Hill County has had algal blooms in each of the last several years. Blooms were reported in Beaver Creek Reservoir and Bear Paw Lake last month.
People who see what might be a harmful algae bloom can report it using the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services website at http://www.hab.mt.gov . The site also has a map of reported HABs and information on how to identify them.
People in Blaine County who suspect a toxic algae-related illness in a person or animal, including livestock, should call Poison Control immediately at 1-800-222-1222 or contact Blaine County Sanitarian Ron Andersen at 406-868-4957.
Anderson said that, because the algae blooms require high nutrients and high temperatures, he hopes the rain and cooler weather in the forecast could end the hazard next week, but urged people to use caution.
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