NORTH CAROLINA — The state environmental agency is reminding the public to avoid algal blooms as the July 4 holiday approaches.
Elevated temperatures, increased sunlight and nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and low or no water flow help with algae creation. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources notes overgrowth of blooms can create toxins and adversely affect health.
The public is asked to avoid contact with large algae accumulation and not swim or ingest water with them in it. To safeguard, the public should:
- Keep children and pets away from water that appears bright green, blue, discolored or scummy.
- Do not handle or touch large mats of algae
- Avoid handling, cooking or eating dead fish that may be present
- If you come into contact with an algal bloom, wash thoroughly
- Use clean water to rinse off pets that may have come into contact with an algal bloom
- If your child appears ill after being in waters containing an algal bloom, seek medical care immediately
- If your pet appears to stumble, stagger, or collapse after being in a pond, lake or river, seek veterinary care immediately
To report an algal bloom, contact the nearest DEQ regional office or submit a report online. To view reported algal bloom events, visit DWR’s Fish Kill & Algal Bloom Dashboard.
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