Toxic algae at 2 Snake River parks near Tri-Cities. Water may be deadly for dogs
Toxic algae has been found at two Army Corps of Engineers parks on the Snake River near the Tri-Cities, warns the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health.
At Charbonneau Park , which is 15 miles from Pasco or 8 miles upriver from Burbank, elevated levels of microcystin, a toxin found in what is commonly called blue green algae, has been detected in the water.
Microcystin is a liver toxin that can cause serious illness in people, particularly children, and can be deadly for dogs, according to the Walla Walla health department.
Samples taken downriver at Hood Park three miles south of Pasco at Burbank, have found a different toxin associated with an algal bloom, Anatoxin A.
Although detectable, the Anatoxin A was below levels at which warnings are issued. However, the Walla Walla health department warned that conditions can change.
Anatoxin A, which affects the nervous system, is the toxin that has been found in recent summers and autumns in the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities and is known to have sickened and killed 10 dogs there since fall 2021.
Water at both Snake River parks will be checked for toxin levels weekly.
The Walla Walla health department is recommending that people and pets stay out of the water at Charbonneau Park. The water also poses a threat to livestock.
Fish should be cleaned well and the guts discarded.
Water may be discolored, smell bad and have foam or scum. Dead animals on or near the shoreline also can indicate toxic algae.
"When in doubt, stay out," says the Walla Walla health department.
People, and their pets, who may have been exposed to water containing an algal bloom should rinse off with fresh water immediately. Medical help is needed if symptoms develop, the department said.
Symptoms in people of liver poisoning from microcystin include jaundice, shock, abdominal pain, weakness, vomiting, severe thirst and a pulse that may be rapid or weak. Skin contact with the water can cause rashes.
Symptoms in dogs may include lethargy, lack of appetite, diarrhea and discolored gums.
