Colorado River
Basin – Water samples were collected from Colorado City State
Park, Moss Creek at the boat ramp, and E.V. Spence
at Wildcat Creek in the first week of April. All samples had very high
densities of golden alga cells, high toxicity, and P. parvum was the dominant algal species.
There have not been any related fish kills reported in these water
bodies.
Brazos River
Basin – Water samples and reports from
local citizens confirm that the golden alga bloom on Possum Kingdom Reservoir is
back. Samples were collected from Johnson Rd., FM 2951, Deep Elm arm and the
dam in the first week of April. All samples had high densities of golden alga
cells, very high levels of toxicity and P.
parvum was the dominant algal species. At this time regional
biologists are investigating the bloom and further reports are pending the
conclusion of that investigation.
April 8, 2010 – Colorado, Rio Grande, and
Brazos
River
Basins
Colorado River
Basin – Water samples were collected from three
locations in O.H. Ivie Reservoir (Colorado River arm, Main Lake,
and Concho
River arm) in early April.
No golden alga cell counts could be made in all three samples and there were no
toxicity levels detected. All samples had low overall algal densities or a
mixed algal community.
Samples collected at Twin Buttes Reservoir and
Lake
Nasworthy also had no
golden alga cell densities, no toxicity and low overall algal
densities.
Rio
Grande
River Basin –
Water samples taken at Coyanosa in early April were approaching moderate density
levels of golden alga cells and a moderate level of toxicity was detected.
Samples collected at Brotherton Ranch however had no density levels of golden
alga cells and no toxicity was reported.
Brazos River
Basin – Golden alga cell count levels were still high
in four locations sampled on Lake
Whitney (FM 51, Plowman Park, Juniper Cove, and Lofers Bend).
Lake
Whitney samples taken from
Steele Creek had cell count densities approaching moderate levels. All samples
taken from Lake
Whitney had moderate
toxicity levels and all except two locations (Juniper Cove and Lofers Bend) had
a mixed algal community, with the two exceptions having P. parvum as the dominant algal
species.
Conservation & Environment