Development of South Dakota s Watershed Protection Program s response to Algae Complaints

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1 Development of South Dakota s Watershed Protection Program s response to Algae Complaints

2 Introduction Current Protocols Entirely complaint based Majority of complaints received are public water bodies Majority of complaints concern recreational activities Private water body complaints concern stock water usage Press releases are handled by the Department of Health

3 Prior to 2014 Complaints received 2-3 a year at most No testing was conducted Advice consisted of avoiding contact with the water

4 Summer of 2014 Pelican Lake Shallow Basin (6 feet maximum depth) Sediments stirred by wave action Numerous people live on this lake State park with a swimming beach (Pelican Lake Recreation Area) located on the south shore Lake occurs within the town limits of Watertown, SD (population of 21,482) Popular recreational lake

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6 Pelican Lake Bloom Occurred in June of 2014 Complaints consisted of songbird and other wildlife deaths Initial inspections confirmed deaths possibly due to algal toxins (blue green staining on all dead animals observed) At the same time local radio began mentioning the bloom and I notified Pierre of the impending situation

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8 Pelican Lake Bloom A press release was issued by the DENR highlighting the bloom and offering cautionary advice South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks closed the beaches based on the press release DENR put up it s own warning signs around public access points following the beach closure Three television interviews were conducted shortly thereafter

9 Pelican Lake Bloom When was it justified to lift the advisory? We had not done cyanotoxin analysis before Given the media attention surrounding this it was prudent to have some kind of testing to help make a decision We ordered some Abraxis test strips Testing was conducted two weeks after the advisory went into effect The results showed up as negative and the beaches were reopened A follow up television interview was conducted a month after the advisory was lifted

10 Other Blooms of 2014 Complaints were received on other lakes Response included testing with the Abraxis test strips and offering cautionary advice No private pond algae complaints were received Met with the Pickerel Lake Association Informed the association on what the blooms are and how we currently responded to them Lake Poinsett A SD GFP park manager informed me of a bloom occurring Asked for information to share with the local lake association

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12 Development of Standard Response Protocols Private pond complaint received in early June, 2015 was the catalyst Concern regarding the potential delivering misinformation regarding the safety of the pond Test strips don t provide a comprehensive answer Protocols were developed based on these concerns

13 Private Pond Complaints Testing Strips tests If the landowner is further interested thenoffer quantitative testing (Microcystin, Anatoxins, Cylindrospermopsin, and Saxitoxins) Suggest the landowner conduct a livestock suitability test, available through SDSU Advice Caution against utilizing the water Suggest they contact Department of Health and SDSU Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory

14 Complaints due to Illness on Public Water Bodies First ask if medical help has been sought, suggest it s a good idea to do so Take photographs of the bloom plus any wildlife that may be adversely affected Testing Test strips Quantitative testing for Microcystin, Anatoxins, Cylindrospermopsin, and Saxitoxins Compare test results with Oregon s guideline values Inform SD Game, Fish and Parks and Department of Health about the situation

15 Non-illness complaints on Public Water Testing Strip tests Bodies No quantitative testing unless illnesses in people or pets are communicated later Inform people to contact Department of Health if that have concerns about potential health affects

16 Following Up In the event an advisory is issued Monitor the bloom until it has dissipated Once dissipated test with microcystin/nodularin test strips and take a quantitative cyanotoxin sample If the strip tests show up as negative and the cyanotoxin values are below Oregon Harmful Algae Bloom Surveillance Program guideline values then lift the advisory In non-advisory events Inform people they can submit additional concerns to the Department

17 Questions that remain Fish Consumption What to tell people? Are some species affected more than others? (bioaccumulation) Are there documented cases of people getting sick from eating fish flesh? Are there precautions people can take when cleaning fish to ensure further safety?