Oregon public health officials say years of drought followed by heavy rains this spring created a "perfect storm" for harmful algae blooms to pop up on rivers, lakes and reservoirs across the state this summer.

In rural Lake County, those conditions led to what officials say is the deadliest algae bloom in nearly 20 years. Thirty-two cows died last month after drinking water from Junipers Reservoir, a lake on a private ranch west of Lakeview.

Three people also fell ill after ingesting the water-borne bacteria at Lake Billy Chinook in Jefferson County this month.

John O'Keeffe, president of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association and a Lake County resident, said ranchers knew it was possible to have livestock or pets die from algae-tainted water, but he couldn't recall anything comparable to the die-off at KV Bar Ranch.

"People are watching their ponds close now," he said, citing the blue-green sheen of gunk that rests on top of the water.

Though 2017 may appear to be a bad year for algae blooms, state officials say there's not much they can do to confirm that or study the issue further. They do anticipate seeing more blooms in the future due to climate change.

"Drought conditions and temperature can also contribute to more blooms," said Julie Sifuentes, the environmental health assessment program manager at the Oregon Health Authority.

The information vacuum is problematic because it's not clear by looking at an algae bloom whether it's harmful to humans or animals.

Testing is the only way to know for sure, and Oregon only has the resources to react and issue public health advisories after tests confirm the presence of cyanobacteria, the harmful water-borne bloom known colloquially as blue green algae.

"We don't have the data to say, 'Oh yes, these are how many blooms we're seeing," Sifuentes said.

Rebecca Hillwig, a natural resource specialist with the Oregon Health Authority, said the naturally occurring blooms can pop up anywhere once fueled by nutrients from elevated levels of fertilizer, manure or other nutrients.

"Any portion of Oregon could have a bloom, and people just may not know about it," she said.

Lori Grant, the water program director at the Oregon Environmental Council, said the Lake County cattle incident shows the importance of keeping manure away from water sources. "Ironically, they were fertilizing their own drinking water," she said.

LIMITED MONITORING

The state does not proactively monitor any waterway for algae blooms, except under special circumstances. At popular recreation spots across the state, Oregon relies on partners like the U.S. Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers or local counties to do the water sampling.

Sifuentes said it's difficult to say how many lakes or rivers are monitored each year, and some partner agencies have scaled back monitoring in recent years.

In some instances, the health authority will ask the Department of Environmental Quality to monitor some waterways, if there's no partner agency like the corps or a county to conduct testing.

Aaron Borisenko, the water quality monitoring manager, said the agreement is an "unfunded mandate" and he has no dedicated staff working on algae issues.

"These are important issues for public health and for cattle and animals," he said, "and something we are concerned about, something we take seriously."

DEQ responded to Lake County and tested Lower Cottonwood Reservoir, just north of the contaminated site, but found no toxins.

The state also tested Drews Reservoir, a larger body further to the west, and confirmed the presence of the bacteria. An advisory was issued June 30.

But gathering additional samples is cumbersome and requires a staffer from a regional office driving to far-flung areas to gather samples, Borisenko said.

Further testing may not happen until next week, he said.

"It's not a small lift."

INCREASED AWARENESS

The general public needs to be aware of what the algae look like, and thankfully public awareness of the issue has increased in recent years. Calls to the state are up, Sifuentes said.

The nonprofit Oregon Environment Council said it is studying the issue and trying to raise awareness as well.

Stacey Malstrom, the nonprofit's spokesperson on water issues, said the state has a good system of testing drinking water and letting residents know when it is safe or not safe to drink.

"We don't have that same system for people that are trying to recreate in our waters," she said.

Oregon once had a five-year grant from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which expired in 2013, that paid $140,000 or $150,000 a year to help provide permanent signs at some problem spots and posters warning dog owners about the threat posed to the animals.

But that funding dried up in September 2013. "We have not been able to do those kinds of things, which has been sort of detrimental to the program," Hillwig said.

The state maintains a map of some existing advisories on its website, and issues news releases alerting the public to the algae blooms once tests confirm their presence.

SYMPTOMS RESEMBLE FOOD POISONING

People who ingest the bacteria can develop nausea, diarrhea and other symptoms similar to food poisoning.

Dogs in particular face the gravest risk from ingesting harmful algae. For humans, the state will issue an advisory if testing shows toxic algae is found at 10 parts per billion. For dogs, consumption can be deadly at 0.2 parts per billion.

The state established a permanent advisory warning on the South Umpqua River after multiple dogs died in 2009 and in 2011.

Oregon Fish and Wildlife officials say fish "do fine" with algae, unless the bloom is so thick it depletes the oxygen supply. Fish from contaminated waterways are safe to consume.

But public health officials say it's important not to use lake or river water affected by an algae bloom for camping. Boiling the water does not help or eradicate the bacteria.

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen