Reclaiming Ohi:yo'- Restoring the Altered Landscape of the Beautiful River

The Threat of Blue-Green Algae

One of the negative environmental affects of the Allegany Reservoir has been the increasing occurrence of blue-green algae blooms along our river's surface. Blue- green algae, or cyanobacteria, can potentially produce toxins that can negatively effect our people's health and also have negative ecological and biogeochemical impacts. 

Blue-green algae that can be potentially toxic is referred to as "cyanotoxins". Cyanotoxins are usually found in blooms that accumulate along shorelines and downwind bays. We call these blooms of toxic cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB). 

According to the Watershed Resources Working Group, a Seneca Nation technical advisory board, HABs were first recorded in Ohi:yo' in 1972 and today have increasingly been more severe and frequent. 

Not all cyanobacteria is toxic. 



https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/blue-green-algae-and-harmful-algal-blooms (source)

http://epa.illinois.gov/topics/water-quality/monitoring/algal-bloom/index (source)

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