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Ohio River Algal Bloom Advisory Extended Past Louisville

ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Kentucky state regulators are warning people to avoid recreational contact with the Ohio River from the West Virginia border, past Louisville all the way to the Cannelton Locks and Dam in Hancock County. Over the past two weeks, a harmful algal bloom has spread, releasing toxins into the water.

The state recreation advisory recommends people avoid contact with the water through swimming and boating. Water inadvertently swallowed could cause nausea or vomiting, and the water could also cause skin and eye irritation or breathing difficulties.

Kentucky Division of Water Director Peter Goodman says he expects the condition to persist for several more weeks.

"When it's going to go away is when conditions in the river change significantly," he said. "When we get increased flows, when we have drops in temperature, we get more cloud cover or the cycle of these things just dies out."

The bloom is unusual for flowing water, like a river. In this case, the river is also the drinking water source for about three million people. A similar bloom in Lake Erie caused the city of Toledo to close drinking water intakes for several days last summer, but the Louisville Water Company says scientists aren’t having any problems treating the water here. The extra monitoring and treatment is costing the water company at least an additional $7,000 a day.

Erica Peterson is a reporter and Kentucky Public Radio correspondent based out of WFPL in Louisville, Kentucky.
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