The Wyoming Department of Health has issued warnings about the recreational use of harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCB) Boysen Reservoir, Buffalo Bill Reservoir, Fontenelle Reservoir, Keyhole Reservoir, Viva Naughton Reservoir, and Wheatland Reservoir # 3.
The Wyoming Department of Health is working directly with resource management agencies to ensure that notices are posted in all bodies of water. For more details on advisories as well as other HCB resources, please visit WyoHCBs.org.
WDH issues recommendations for recreational use when cyanobacterial cell densities or cyanotoxin concentrations pose a risk to people who swim or undertake similar activities that involve water in areas where cyanobacterial blooms occur. HCBs can also pose a health risk to animals. Bloom advisories are issued when an HCB is present and toxins may be present. Toxin warnings are issued when cyanotoxins exceed recreational thresholds.
Waters that are subject to a recommendation will not be closed because HCBs may only be present in certain areas and conditions can change frequently. Recommendations will remain in place until the flowers have completely dissolved and cyanotoxin levels are below the thresholds for recreational use set out in the Wyoming HCB Action Plan.
When you come across a potential HCB, the Wyoming Department of Health and the Wyoming Livestock Board recommend the following:
• Avoid contact with water near the flower, especially in areas where cyanobacteria are dense and form scum.
• Do not ingest water from the flower. Cooking, filtering, and / or other treatments will not remove toxins.
• Rinse the fish with clean water and only eat the fillet portion.
• Avoid splashing water from the flower.
• Do not allow pets or farm animals to drink water, eat flower material, or lick their fur after contact with the flower.
• If people, pets, or farm animals come into contact with a flower, rinse them with clean water as soon as possible and contact a doctor or veterinarian.
Questions about health effects and advice on recreational use can be directed to Courtney Tillman, Surveillance Epidemiologist, Wyoming Department of Health, at [email protected] or (307) 777-5522. Questions about sampling cyanobacteria can be directed to Kelsee Hurshman, Natural Resource Analyst, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, at [email protected] or (307) 777-2073.
Current HCB information on recreational use Water body name Observation or sampling location (s) Type of information Date of issue
Big Sandy Reservoir West Shore, Dam Area Bloom 7/28/2021
Boysen Reservoir Swim Beach, Tough Creek Camp Bloom 08/19/2021
Buffalo Bill Reservoir Bartlett Lane Bloom 08/19/2021
Eden Reservoir South Outlet Bloom 7/28/2021
Flaming Gorge Reservoir Buckboard Marina, Firehole Beach Bloom 7/29/2021
Fontenelle Reservoir CyAN Satellite Imagery Bloom 08/19/2021
West Granite Springs West Causeway Bloom 08/29/2021
Keyhole Reservoir Wind Creek Ramp Bloom 08/19/2021
Leazenby Lake South Beach Bloom 07/20/2021
Pathfinder Reservoir Bishops Point Bloom 07/29/2021
Saratoga Lake West Boat Ramp, West Beach Bloom 7/29/2021
Viva Naughton Reservoir Southeast Thumb Bloom 8/19/2021
Wheatland Reservoir # 3am Area Bloom 08/19/2021
Woodruff Narrows North Boat Ramp Bloom 7/28/2021
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