What's in the water? Toxic algae thriving
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Lady Bird Lake is a popular place for paddle boarders and kayakers. But with more signs of toxic blue green algae, it's getting some unwanted attention.
Toxic blue-green algae thrives in warm, slow-moving water and as the temperatures rise in Austin, it's thriving.
Lady Bird Lake recently made the top 10 list of troubled lakes to watch this toxic algae season.
"It made No. 6 on the list," said Lucia Ross with BlueGreen Water Technologies, the company that put the list together.
This season the toxic algae is showing up sooner, and lake goers like Sam Helberg have noticed.
"It definitely makes me a little weary to get in the water," said Helberg said. "A lot of my friends won't even take their dogs down here because of the algae. I have seen people run and get their dogs before they have gone into the water."
At high levels of exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the algae can cause symptoms ranging from stomach aches, to rashes, to respiratory symptoms. The best advice is to avoid areas where you see a lot of the algae.
"We are seeing it everywhere across the nation, across the world," Ross said. "Even areas where you haven't experienced algal blooms and that is because of the temperatures rising."
Hotter summers can mean more toxic blue green algae, but there are other organisms to watch out for as well.
"There are definitely risks when you swim in a natural body of water," said Heather Cooks-Sinclair with Austin Public Health.
The City of Austin does test for E. Coli, but it does not track other strains of bacteria.
After a heavy rain, it is best to stay out of waterways for at least three days, because there could be high levels of pollutants or other bacteria.
"It could be E. Coli, Salmonella, cryptosporidium could be in there," Cooks-Sinclair said.
Always look for warning signs that might be posted, avoid swallowing water if you can and try to avoid swimming with open sores or cuts.
The beginning of the El Niño weather pattern is expected to increase outbreaks of harmful algae in much of the U.S., according to officials.