Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

Partners

Lake Management

Federal, state and local agencies monitor lakes and reservoirs that have high recreational use, and provide our program with laboratory results of water samples collected when a cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) bloom is suspected. These lab results are the basis for issuing recreational use health advisories. We consistently work with:

  • Devils Lake Water Improvement District manages Devils Lake, located in Lincoln County, and does routine monitoring for cyanobacteria.  
  • Oregon Department of Environmental Quality provides OHA with consultation and expertise related to water quality issues and water sampling. Protecting Oregon's rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater quality is an important part of DEQ's mission.
  • Tenmile Lake Basin Partnership focuses on improving water quality in the Tenmile Lakes Watershed Basin, located in Coos County, and monitors Tenmile Lake for cyanobacteria.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water quality staff perform limited monitoring on targeted waterbodies. The Corps will focus more on education and outreach in the future.
  • U.S. Forest Service monitors targeted recreational waterbodies on its lands for cyanobacteria blooms.

Public Health Protection

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works on a national level to educate and promote clean water for healthy swimming in recreational waters and to investigate the impact of harmful algae blooms on human health. The CDC also tracks illnesses from exposure to harmful algae blooms.

Washington Department of Health has a harmful algae bloom surveillance program and does toxin testing of algae blooms in Washington freshwaters.  

California CCHAB Network (pdf)

Shellfish Safety Closures

Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife jointly monitor for marine biotoxins and issue shellfish safety closures to alert recreational harvesters when clams or mussels have been contaminated.
 

Meeting Video from September 15th, 2021