July 30, 2021 |
An HCB advisory has been issued for Saratoga Lake. The popular fishing spot is on the list of waterways where the presence of new, harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms poses a threat to recreational users and their pets. Pathfinder Reservoir is also on list released Thursday.
The Wyoming Department of Health issues the HCB advisories when concentrations of the green, toxic bacteria pose a risk to swimmers or others spending time in water where they grow. The health of animals is also threatened by contact with the blooms. Water bodies where the toxic blooms are present are not closed since the threatening concentrations may be present in only certain areas and conditions change frequently.
The health department issued these cautions:
• Avoid contact with water in the vicinity of a bloom
• Do not ingest water from a bloom
• Boiling, filtration and other treatments do no remove the toxins
• Rinse fish with clean water and only eat the fillet portion
• Avoid water spray from blooms
• Do not allow pets or livestock to drink water near a bloom, eat bloom material or lick fur after they have made contact with HCBs.
• Rinse pets off with clean water if are exposed and contact a veterinarian.
Other waterways on the HCB list include Big Sandy, Eden and Flaming Gorge Reservoirs. At Saratoga Lake, a bloom has been identified at the West Boat Ramp.
Pictured above: Saratoga Lake campground. Photo courtesy of the Town of Saratoga.
