Algae has reappeared in Lake Mead.
Longtime residents may remember a widescale algal bloom that turned the lake green back in 2001.
But the current situation doesn't qualify as a full bloom, according to the Southern Nevada Water District.
"There's algae in Lake Mead year-round of some sorts, no matter what," Southern Nevada Water District limnologist Todd Tietjen told KNPR's State of Nevada. "The algae that we're watching lately is a specific genus of algae that has been known to cause problems around the country."
Tietjen said the algae is a common species, but is one that can release microtoxins when stressed. He said usually the algae appears in the late fall, and dissipates over the winter. But, this year, it stuck around.
"Since it grows at the surface, the wind can bring it together," he said. "In this case, the place where we saw the highest concentrations were along the shoreline and along some docks and on some boat ramps this year."
Tietjen said the algae hasn't appeared in the drinking water intakes of the lake, but if it did, the treatment systems would be able to handle it.
"Even though we haven't detected it at the drinking water intakes, if it were to get into the drinking water intake, the ozone and the chlorine [we use] would destroy it," he said.
Todd Tietjen, limnologist, Southern Nevada Water District
