Algae in the Highland Lakes
On July 5, LCRA received a report that a dog died July 4 after swimming in Lake Travis near Point Venture. LCRA biologists collected samples from the water where the dog swam. The test results did not detect any level of dihydroanatoxin-a, a cyanotoxin known to be dangerous and sometimes fatal to dogs. Biologists did not observe any algal mats in the area where the dog was reported to have been swimming but did find algae in a nearby cove. LCRA collected samples from the algal mats, and testing detected no cyanotoxins at levels that would be dangerous to pets or people. The cause of death remains unknown.
LCRA continues to strongly recommend that people and pets avoid all contact with algae in the Highland Lakes. Algal material can begin producing toxins at any time without a change in appearance, and ingesting the toxins can be dangerous and even fatal to animals. Here are examples of algae and here are ways to minimize risks of exposure.
Freshwater algae and cyanobacteria
Freshwater algae play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. Most algae are harmless, but some species (notably cyanobacteria or blue-green algae) can on occasion produce toxins that can be dangerous to animals and people. These events are known as harmful algal blooms, or HABs, when they occur suspended in the water column. When these events occur as algal mats, they are referred to as harmful algal proliferations, or HAPs.
Harmful algae in the Highland Lakes
LCRA regularly monitors water samples for cyanotoxins in lakes Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls, Travis, Bastrop and Fayette. The testing has not detected cyanotoxins in the water at levels that would be harmful to humans or pets in 2022, 2023 or 2024, but testing of the algal material itself has consistently detected high concentrations of cyanotoxins.
Keeping people and pets away from any floating algal mats or material is the best way to minimize risk.
The City of Austin monitors algae in Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake and Lake Walter E. Long. For more information on City of Austin cyanotoxin monitoring, visit austintexas.gov/page/algae.
Managing algae
The most effective short-term way to manage algae is to manually remove it using tools that prevent contact with skin. Algaecides have limited effectiveness and can pose threats to people, pets and water quality. To decrease the potential that algae will grow in the lake, people should take steps to reduce the amount of nutrients entering the lake.
Blue-green algae or cyanobacteria naturally occur in water bodies throughout Texas, including those in the lower Colorado River basin. Algae can occur year-round, but they typically thrive during the hot summer months. On occasion, blue-green algae can produce toxins that can be harmful to people and pets. Algae that are producing toxins are called harmful algal blooms (HABs) when suspended in the water column and harmful algal proliferations (HAPs) when the algae form mats.
It is impossible to tell whether blue-green algae are producing toxins by look, touch or smell, so scientific testing is required to determine if toxins are present. Though it is difficult to predict precisely when or if blue-green algae will produce toxins, toxin production in general is usually triggered when environmental conditions include excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus); warm water temperatures; calm, stagnant or low-flow conditions; and ample sunlight. Harmful algae may only last a few hours or can persist for several weeks depending on weather conditions and characteristics of the waterbody.
The name blue-green algae can be somewhat misleading in the identification of cyanobacteria. Blue-green algae are most commonly blue/green, dark green, brown and black. They can make water appear as swirls of green paint, green pea soup or floating mats of what may look like moss or scum. Blue-green algae can also be intermixed with other algae that do not produce toxins (i.e., green algae and diatoms).
Exposure to harmful algae
People and pets can be exposed to harmful algae toxins through direct skin contact from swimming and other recreational activities or ingesting water or food contaminated with harmful algae toxins.
People
Harmful algae toxins can cause skin and eye irritation or rashes. Severe reactions can occur when large amounts of water are ingested, and can range from diarrhea, cramps and vomiting to fainting, dizziness and numbness, or tingling in lips, fingers and toes. If you think you are experiencing symptoms related to exposure to harmful algae toxins, call your doctor or a poison control center immediately. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HAB-Associated Illness webpage.
Pets
Dogs are primarily at risk through ingestion. Dogs’ behaviors such as picking up items from a lake in their mouth or licking their fur after swimming through algae can put them at a high risk for exposure to harmful algae. The best way to protect you and your pets from toxins is to avoid all direct contact with algae.
Animals can experience symptoms within minutes of exposure to toxicity, including drooling, rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, difficulty breathing, loss of energy and appetite, stumbling and falling, foaming at the mouth, seizures, and even death.
Report a dog illness that may be related to toxic algae in the Highland Lakes to LCRA by emailing Contact LCRA. Include information about your dog (breed and size), when and where the dog may have been exposed, the dog’s symptoms and your contact information.
Drinking water supplies
Utility operators are responsible for testing and treatment to remove harmful algae toxins to meet federal regulatory guideline limits for public water supply uses.
Risk of exposure from swimming
Natural bodies of water are not chlorinated or disinfected, so there is always a risk of contact with bacteria or other toxins when swimming in the Highland Lakes. Water quality conditions can change frequently and can vary from one part of a lake to another.
Humans, pets and livestock that interact with harmful algae toxins either through physical contact or ingestion can become sick, or in extreme cases, become paralyzed or die. People who enter the water do so at their own risk.
To keep pets safe while swimming in the Highland Lakes:
- Avoid areas with algae or that are stagnant.
- Don’t let dogs consume lake water, algal material or other shoreline debris.
- Don’t let dogs lick their fur or paws after getting out of the water.
- Rinse your dog after contact with lake water.
- Provide clean, fresh water for drinking.
- If your dog becomes sick after swimming, take your dog to a veterinarian immediately.
Help minimize growth and spread of harmful algae
Once harmful algae appears, there are few options besides letting it run its natural course. Chemical treatment methods such as algaecides approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Department of Agriculture are not recommended during a bloom or proliferation and can contribute to a temporary reduction in water quality in the form of low dissolved oxygen levels and the release of algal toxins from dying algal cells.
Land use has a direct effect on water quality, and water quality is directly related to harmful algae growth and abundance. To help reduce man-made sources of nutrients:
- Pick up and properly dispose of pet waste.
- Reduce the use of fertilizer on lawns. Most established lawns do not need additional phosphorus to be healthy.
- Do not dump lawn clippings, leaves or other yard waste into storm drains, creek beds, lakes or other waterways.
- Have your septic system inspected and pumped at least every three to five years to help ensure it operates properly.
- Use silt fences, containment barriers and other best management practices at residential and commercial construction sites to prevent runoff of nutrient-laden sediment.
- Plant and maintain vegetative buffer strips along shorelines of lakes, ponds and streams. Native plants are much more effective at filtering runoff than the typical grass species found on residential lawns. See the Remarkable Riparian webpage for free digital lessons on riparian habitat function.
- Learn more about water quality issues and steps you can take to improve water quality in your watershed. See the Texas Watershed Steward website for information on upcoming workshops and online resources such as training videos and the curriculum handbook.
RESOURCES
EPA Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms in Water Bodies
Texas A&M AgriLife aquaculture specialist addresses 2019 algae-related dog deaths
CDC Harmful Algal Bloom Basics
ITRC Strategies for Preventing and Managing Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms
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