Blue-Green Algae Reported In Sloan’s Lake In Cheyenne

The Wyoming Department of Health has issued a warning about blue-green algae blooms in Sloan's Lake in Cheyenne.

That's according to a news release from the Cheyenne Board Of Public Utilities.

Such blooms can produce toxins which can pose a threat to people and animals, including pets and livestock. Blue-green algae are also known as cyanobacteria, and commonly bloom in Wyoming in late summer  in slow moving water.

While Sloan's Lake is used for recreation, it isn't a source for drinking water in Cheyenne.

According to the Wyoming Department of Health, blue-gree algae exposure can cause the following symptoms:

People or animals who are directly exposed to cyanotoxins can experience:

• Skin irritation
• Eye irritation
• Nose irritation
• Throat irritation
• Respiratory irritation

Pets and animals may experience more severe symptoms such as:

• Excessive salivation
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Staggered walking
• Difficulty breathing
• Convulsions
• Liver failure
• Death
• Death in animals can occur within hours to days of the exposure

The BOPU is recommending that people take the following steps:

▪ Avoid contact with water in the vicinity of a bloom, especially in areas where cyanobacteria may be dense and form a residue.

▪ Do not ingest water where a bloom may be present. Boiling, using filtration, and/or other treatments will not remove toxins.

▪ Rinse fish with clean water and eat only the fillet portion.

▪ Avoid any water spray-off where a bloom may be present.

▪ Do not allow pets or livestock to drink water near a bloom, eat bloom material or lick fur after contact with a bloom.

▪ If people, pets, or livestock come into contact with a bloom, rinse off with clean water as soon as possible.