CAUTION: Harmful Bacteria Bloom In Wyoming Lakes

Do you have any plans to go swimming in Wyoming waters this summer?

Keep an eye out for changes in water color.

We have a problem.

Harmful cyanobacteria bloom advisories have been issued for some Wyoming lakes.

In all, there are now 10 Wyoming watering holes where advisories already exist this summer.

Recently, new blooms have been found in Glendo Reservoir, Goshen Hole Reservoir, and Brooks Lake.

A cyanobacteria bloom tells us that cyanotoxins may be present.

Once spotted, a toxin advisory is issued.

If have have been swimming, watch for the following symptoms.

The CDC lists symptoms of ingestion of cyanotoxins as headache, fever, bloody or dark urine, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

Wyoming Health Department’s webpage.  

The Health Department and Wyoming Livestock Board recommend:

• Avoid contact with water in and around the bloom, especially in areas where cyanobacteria are dense.
• Do not swallow water from the bloom. Boiling, filtration, or other treatments will not remove toxins.
• Rinse fish with clean water and eat only the fillet portion.
• Avoid water spray from the bloom.
• Do not allow pets or livestock to drink water near the bloom, eat bloom material, or lick fur after contact.
• If people, pets, or livestock come into contact with a bloom, rinse off with clean water as soon as possible.

Current HCB Recreational Use Advisories*

These warnings are not just for you or your loved ones and friends. Watch your pets. They can get sick too.