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UPDATE: Signs warning people of a harmful algal bloom at Pineview Reservoir are coming down after updated water tests, officials said. Tests taken Sept. 7 showed results "below detection limits," according to a Tweet from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
Warning signs of a harmful algal bloom at Pineview Reservoir are
— Utah DEQ (@UtahDEQ) September 10, 2018
coming down after results of water tests taken Friday were below detection limits.
OGDEN — Health officials are asking people to stay out of the water at Pineview Reservoir as an algal bloom has sprouted.
According to Jared Mendenhall with the Division of Environmental Quality, boating is still OK but people should avoid swimming or ingesting the water. Skiing could also be dangerous, he said, especially in areas with scum.
Anglers should clean their catches well and discard the guts, Mendenhall said.
Because cyanobacteria that live within algal blooms can be deadly for animals, people should also keep their pets out of the water, he said.
"Pineview isn't like Utah Lake where we kind of expect an annual algal bloom, but they have had algal blooms in the past," Mendenhall explained.
He said algal blooms usually occur in September and October after the heat of summer has "promoted the growth of bacteria."
