- A toxic Algae bloom, containing harmful cyanotoxins, has been detected in Antelope Canyon at Lake Powell, Arizona, impacting Fourth of July weekend recreation.
- The cyanotoxin levels are at the high end of safe exposure, posing risks such as rashes, organ failure, and potentially death for humans and animals through ingestion or inhalation during recreational activities.
- Although Lake Powell remains open, park officials advise visitors to avoid swimming in water with visible algal blooms and to refrain from boating on scummy water to prevent toxin exposure.
- Harmful algal blooms, like the one at Lake Powell, are becoming more frequent and persistent due to climate change, warmer water temperatures, and nutrient run-off.
- This issue is not isolated, with similar blooms affecting the recreation area last autumn and increasingly plaguing other bodies of water, such as Lake Erie, where they are lasting longer than before.
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