Year 2 sampling of toxic algae wraps up for 2 recreational lakes

SCCWRP and its partners have finished the second year of sampling in two Riverside County lakes for a study chronicling the proliferation of toxic algae through the bloom season.

During sampling this summer at Lake Elsinore, cyanotoxin concentrations exceeded state human health guidelines beginning in July, triggering lake managers to close the recreational lake to bodily contact. Water and scum samples collected from Lake Elsinore contained toxin concentrations that were among the highest ever recorded in California, with multiple types of cyanotoxins exceeding state guidelines for 60% of the sampling time points.

Meanwhile, in nearby Canyon Lake, cyanotoxin concentrations also briefly exceeded state guidelines, triggering a one-week closure in August.
The goal of the study, which will be published in late 2017, is to evaluate whether routine cyanotoxin monitoring should be implemented for these and other recreational water bodies.