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Development of toxic blue-green algal blooms in Black Lake, Kootenai County, Idaho. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1014-05 Item Info

Increasing occurrences of blue-green algal blooms in lakes throughout the western United States have been linked to recreational use, sewage inputs, and nonpoint runoff from agricultural and grazing sources. In certain instances these blooms produce toxins that can be lethal to fish, aquatic invertebrates, mammals and humans. Black Lake, in northern Idaho has experienced late summer and fall growths of a toxic alga, Anabaena flos-aquae. Demonstrated fatal toxicity to cattle and small mammals occurred in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1985. The eutrophication and subsequent toxic blooms in Black Lake can be related to its large nonpoint nutrient input from the surrounding watershed. The presence or absence of cattle on adjacent meadows may be a major determining factor in bloom formation. Despite a high proportion of sediments (55 percent) exposed to anaerobic conditions during summer stratification, it appears that internal loading alone does not play a significant role in the triggering of a toxic bloom in Black Lake. Development of A. flos-aquae bloom in Black Lake is dependent on a series of interdependent environmental controls. The most important conditions in Black Lake appear to be high spring nutrient load (compounded by the presence of cattle), high fall water temperature, and stable water column conditions in the fall. The A. flos-aquae strain present in Black Lake formed surface concentrations and produced anatoxin-a, despite comprising only 1 to 2 percent of the total algal biovolume in the water column. Anatoxin-a is produced at times other than when massive surface scums are formed, indicating toxic strains are more widespread in occurrence than previously perceived.

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Title:
Development of toxic blue-green algal blooms in Black Lake, Kootenai County, Idaho. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1014-05
Authors:
Kann, Jacob; Falter, C. Michael
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1987-10
Description:
Increasing occurrences of blue-green algal blooms in lakes throughout the western United States have been linked to recreational use, sewage inputs, and nonpoint runoff from agricultural and grazing sources. In certain instances these blooms produce toxins that can be lethal to fish, aquatic invertebrates, mammals and humans. Black Lake, in northern Idaho has experienced late summer and fall growths of a toxic alga, Anabaena flos-aquae. Demonstrated fatal toxicity to cattle and small mammals occurred in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1985. The eutrophication and subsequent toxic blooms in Black Lake can be related to its large nonpoint nutrient input from the surrounding watershed. The presence or absence of cattle on adjacent meadows may be a major determining factor in bloom formation. Despite a high proportion of sediments (55 percent) exposed to anaerobic conditions during summer stratification, it appears that internal loading alone does not play a significant role in the triggering of a toxic bloom in Black Lake. Development of A. flos-aquae bloom in Black Lake is dependent on a series of interdependent environmental controls. The most important conditions in Black Lake appear to be high spring nutrient load (compounded by the presence of cattle), high fall water temperature, and stable water column conditions in the fall. The A. flos-aquae strain present in Black Lake formed surface concentrations and produced anatoxin-a, despite comprising only 1 to 2 percent of the total algal biovolume in the water column. Anatoxin-a is produced at times other than when massive surface scums are formed, indicating toxic strains are more widespread in occurrence than previously perceived.
Subjects:
Algae(Blue-green) Anoxic conditions Algal toxins Livestock Cattle Grazing
Location:
Black Lake, North Idaho
Latitude:
47.45
Longitude:
-116.66
Collection:
Coeur d'Alene Basin
Series:
Water for Idaho
IWRRI number:
198708
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
Publisher:
Idaho Water Resources Research Institute; University of Idaho
Contributing Institution:
University of Idaho
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Cataloger:
KIT
Date Digitized:
2017-09-05

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Preferred Citation:
"Development of toxic blue-green algal blooms in Black Lake, Kootenai County, Idaho. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1014-05", Idaho Waters Digital Library, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iwdl/items/iwdl-198708.html
Rights
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
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