City of Austin announces plan to monitor lakes for harmful algae

The plan calls for monitoring Lake Austin and Walter Long Lake, and an experimental two-step treatment at Red Bud Isle.

AUSTIN, Texas - After toxic algae tied to the death of several dogs was found in several Central Texas lakes during off-season, the City of Austin has come up with a plan to monitor three lakes.

"Since the unfortunate passing of the dogs in 2019 in Lady Bird Lake, we've received a number of potential mitigation and treatment options for toxic harmful cyanobacteria blooms and proliferations," said Dr. Brent Bellinger, Environmental Scientists Sr. with the City of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department.

Scientist says toxic blue-green algae likely caused by cold weather

Most of the algae present at Lake Travis is harmless, but the LCRA said this year tests showed toxic blue-green algae mixed in.

Dr. Bellinger says the City of Austin wanted to change its approach after harmful algae were found in several city lakes during the off-season including Lady Bird Lake. "We decided to test out as part of a pilot mitigation project plan where we are going to go after some of the nutrients that we believe are fueling the cyanobacteria blooms," he said.

This will be an experiment that will be taking place and monitored weekly throughout the year. It will be a two-step treatment done at Red Bud Isle. That process, according to Dr. Bellinger, is hopefully going to make it so that harmful algae can no longer grow in the water.

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"We're not using an algaecide or anything that would be potentially harmful to beneficial algae or to any aquatic organisms. We're using two very environmentally friendly approaches to go after the nutrients," he said.

Lake Austin and Walter Long Lake will be monitored, but Red Bud Isle will be the focus of this experiment for its high toxic algae levels.

Is toxic algae the new normal in area lakes?

Several of the Highland Lakes have already tested positive for toxic blue-green algae this year, says LCRA.

"We observed in 2020 that the algae had the highest toxin contents in that area. That is where the most dogs, unfortunately, were ill or passed away," said Dr. Bellinger.

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Updates will be posted online.

For now, Dr. Bellinger says people and their pets still need to be cautious in the water. "Avoid any floating algae, avoid backwater areas, you know, keep your pets safe and away from those types of things. Always rinse the animal and yourself off especially as we're moving into the summer when we expect growth to really pick up."

Lady Bird Lake Wild Nature Austin