When harmful algae blooms spread across lakes, rivers and reservoirs, they sometimes resemble spilled paint or gobs of mucus — even grass clippings. Fueled by heat and high levels of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, from wastewater discharge and fertilizer runoff, clusters of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can sicken people, pets, livestock and wildlife. Once a water body experiences its first harmful bloom, dormant bacterial cells linger, increasing the likelihood of another outbreak by orders of magnitude.
“Preventing these blooms in the first place is critical,” said Hannah Bonner, an environmental scientist with the Utah Division of Water Quality. “Both here in Utah and across the United States — we’ve got to stop this trajectory right now.”