East Canyon Reservoir Algal Bloom Monitoring 2018

Update September 21, 2018

The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) received cyanobacteria cell-count concentrations for a sample collected at Taylor Hollow at East Canyon on September 10, 2018. Cell-count densities of 10,401,728 cells per milliliter (cells/ml) exceed the recreation health-based threshold for a Danger Advisory.

The cyanobacteria at the Taylor Hollow sample site resembled grass clippings suspended in the water. The bloom was mostly consolidated along the shoreline, in clumps, with more dispersed bits floating further out into the water. The extent of the bloom was greater than 100 square feet. Rapid strip tests for anatoxin-a and microcystin conducted at the time were non-detect for both toxins.

Update September 14, 2018

The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) visited East Canyon Reservoir on September 10, 2018, and observed evidence of cyanobacteria at several locations in the reservoir.

The cyanobacteria at the Taylor Hollow sampling site looked like grass clippings suspended in the water. The bloom was mostly consolidated along the shoreline in clumps with dispersed bits floating further out into the water. The bloom was greater than 100 square feet.

The Pratt Group Pavilion sampling site also displayed evidence of a bloom, with cyanobacteria resembling grass clippings suspended in the water. The bloom was mostly consolidated along the shoreline with isolated material floating approximately one meter out into the water. The bloom at the Pratt Pavilion was less significant than the Taylor Hollow bloom.

Toxin strip tests were non-detect for both anatoxin-a and microcystin.

DWQ sent samples to the labs for further toxin analysis, cyanobacteria cell-count concentrations, and taxa identification.