PORTLAND, Oregon – There’s been a lot of talk surrounding polluted rivers lately, with the Olympics set to host open water swimming events in the not-so-clean Seine in the heart of Paris. In the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, harmful cyanobacterial blooms present a threat to wildlife, dogs, and people. One a popular youth hangout spot around 1920, the area of the river that once flowed through Ross Island has become a stagnant lagoon, and with it, a hotbed for cyanobacterial blooms. Professors and students with Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Science, along side other nonprofit, private, and public partners, are working to fix the problem.
“The Willamette River connects Portland, both literally and figuratively, and Ross Island is at the heart. It holds the key to our past and future relationship with the river. But, years of industrial activity and a changing climate have created a situation where harmful cyanobacteria can build up in the stagnant waters of the Ross Island Lagoon. This can impact people and animals all along the river, posing serious health risks. Fortunately, this problem can be solved. OSU has joined with other nonprofit, public and private partners to chart a path toward a solution.“
Harmful cyanobacterial blooms occur when cyanobacteria overgrows, producing toxins and degrading water quality. Cyanobacteria does naturally occur in both rivers and estuaries, but human activity can create more favorable environments for their growth. Warmer waters, slower moving waters, ample sunlight, and an increase in nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorous), can encourage overgrowth.
According to the Oregon state government, the presence of dead fish, water fowl, and other animals, sudden sickness or death of dogs or cats, especially if there’s algae present around their mouth, legs, or feet, and rashes on human skin can indicate a toxic bloom. Cyanobacteria can cause both Neurotoxin (nerves) and Hepatotoxin (liver) poisoning, causing numbness of the lips, tingling in fingers and toes, and dizziness in humans in the case of neurotoxins, or abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting in humans in the case of hepatotoxins.