Courtesy of Explore Okoboji – Fri 7-20-2012 (Orleans)– Blue-green algae is starting to make an appearance on some of the Iowa Great Lakes. Mike Hawkins, a fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resouces tells KUOO news it’s most notable right now on Big Spirit Lake.
Hawkins says people and pets should stay away from those areas where blue-green algae is present.
Hawkins says while a lot of progress has been made to improve water quality in the Iowa Great Lakes, that the occurrence of blue-green algae is proof that even more still needs to be done.
While blue-green algae is currently most prevalent on Big Spirit Lake, Hawkins says it’s also been noted in the past on some of the other Iowa Great Lakes.