Sherman Alge Bloom

[Marty Lowe]

I know there are a few Utah kiters that are thinking about a trip to Sherman soon. You may want to read this......

From...

http://forums.iwindsurf.com/viewtopic.php?t=13179

Folks,

I want to give everyone a head's up that there is a nasty toxic algal bloom in the Delta right now. THIS IS NOT A JOKE OR INTERNET HOAX. I am a Delta ecologist & part of a large research program that studies the region. Just two weeks ago, my colleagues measured seriously high levels of a toxic blue green alga (Microcystis) at Antioch, which is located at bit downstream of Sherman Island. They measured 1.3 million cells/mL, which is much higher than the 40,000 cells/mL level that triggers a warning to AVOID SWIMMING. Note that these levels were measured during flood tide--our team believes that the toxic levels will be MUCH higher during ebb tide. Other sites in the Delta (Mildred Island) also are at unhealthy levels. In response, San Joaquin County is currently posting warning signs to this effect.

We don't know exactly why the blooms have appeared in the Delta. However, there is some evidence that the toxic blooms have been becoming progressively worse since 1999. "Stable flow conditions" tend to promote blooms, so it is possible that the drought conditions this year have made things worse in the Delta.

At the risk of triggering a wave of paranoia, I personally won't be sailing there until the risk subsides. This may not be until later in the fall!So...what should you do? I am not a public health official, so I can't tell you. However, you should realize that the stuff you are planing over may not be very healthy for you. If you go out, please consider the following: 1) try not to fall too much (duh); 2) don't swallow; 3) keep the kids and dogs out of the water (similar Microcystis levels killed dogs in the Klamath River last year); 4) wear a full suit to avoid contact; 5) confine your sailing to the Sacramento River side of Sherman Island (where there will be less San Joaquin River water).

BTW, please don't be too discouraged if I don't respond to subsequent posts. I'll be fully occupied at an SF conference this Saturday-Thursday.

Dr. Ted Sommer
California Department of Water Resources

[Josh Shirley]

I read that yesterday. Then I did a google search as to what that is. The search results were slim. Seems like the blooms endanger the fish more than anything else and they typically don't last very long. When the water starts cooling down and mix with salt water the blooms die. What I did find is that tidal pools that are typically too cold to get these blooms are warming up. Another sign of man disrupting nature.

I didn't find much as far as health effects. No more than any drug advertised on TV - diarrhoea, vomitting, flu symptoms, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, fevers, eye and/or ear irritations within 7 days of exposure.

I am wondering if one of our doctors that visit our forum know anything cyanobacteria or mocrosystis and their potential health effects.

Either way I wonder if I should be more worried about the algae bloom or the farm chemicals washed into the rivers from the san joaquin valley (which produces most our country's produce.) I can't imagine the water is very clean. Maybe those Utah kiters that have bathed in Rush lake all spring have built up a resistance to dirty water and algae blooms.

[Marty Lowe]

Maybe those Utah kiters that have bathed in Rush lake all spring have built up a resistance to dirty water and algae blooms.

MY thoughts...

Rush is empty, has been empty every summer/fall for years.
When it fills in the spring, does it fill with dirty nasty water,
or
is it fresh water every spring?

I think it's fairly clean every spring.

Utah Lake, Pineview, Deer Creek, even Sulphur, probably have more "cow shit" bacteria than Rush. IMHO

But, I'm sure we've built up some mean resistance to the bad stuff, no matter what body of water we have all been playing in for years.

-Marty

[Kenny]

Marty,

Rush is definitely cleaner than it was years ago. There is no doubt about it.

Utah Lake is the one that concerns me. It is definitely filthy.

Come to think of it, the cleanest water is probably the salt ponds. The high salt content makes it a sterile environment that kills just about everything.

Kenny

[Jon Manwaring]

No doubt,
May even kill the kiters who venture to the salt ponds to give it a go!

Jon (fresh water) Mzee

[RickHeninger]

The Salt Ponds water I'm sure kills everything that enters it, except humans?!?!

I called some people down at the Delta, I had a few who didn't even know about the algae... The ones who did know, were varied in their opinions.

One gave the "Hell no, I won't go" ... The others said, "Well, I think if you don't drink the water and shower afterwards, you'll be alright. Plus the algae is on the other side of Sherman Island... "

Who knows? Most algae blooms are just that a bloom and then they die I THOUGHT... But as my friend's dad used to say : "You know what thought did don't you? Thought he had to fart and pooped his pants!". Classic Dad one liner of wisdom... Just quoting here...

All I know is that they said people were still out windsurfing and kiting.

PS The president of the Rio Vista W.A. said that he hadn't even heard of it... so, ya might want to check and see if Ted Somers with the California Water whatever even exists!