Klamath to be posted for toxic algae

John Driscoll

The Times-Standard

September 28, 2007

Water quality regulators will post warnings about toxic algae in the Klamath River after recent Yurok and Karuk tribe tests found prolific concentrations of it.

The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is aiming to put up the signs soon, warning people to use caution in the water. That's after residents downstream of reservoirs on the Klamath watched the river take on a green color, according to a joint Yurok and Karuk press release.

Tests showed the toxic blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa to be especially concentrated. The algae was first found in the Klamath by dam owner Pacificorp in 2001, and in the past few years has become a focus and concern for tribes and regulators.

”This is not some kind of natural phenomenon,” said Yurok Environmental Director Kevin McKernan. “This is a direct result of Pacificorp's antiquated dams.”

A Pacificorp spokeswoman did not return a phone call by deadline.

Blue-green algae does appear naturally in some places, but the tribes and water quality officials believe the stagnant water of the reservoirs significantly boosts the amount and concentration of the algae, which then is passed downstream.

That can pose a danger to children and pets, and to people who are exposed to water with high concentrations of algae for long periods of time. Anyone who swallows water is at risk, and officials warn people against eating the organs of fish caught in the river or reservoirs.

Yurok and Karuk tribal members, a fisherman, a business owner and the environmental group Klamath Riverkeeper sued Pacificorp this spring for damages, claiming its dams create toxic conditions in the reservoirs and river and are a public nuisance.