>> Laura: I AM LAURA PASKUS.

TWO YEARS AGO THE OUR LAND  CREW CAME OUT HERE TO COCHITI LAKE AND ABIQUIU LAKE TO LEARN  ABOUT BLUE GREEN ALGAE.

WELL, WE ARE BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE KNOW AS  TEMPERATURES KEEP RISING AND LAKE LEVELS KEEP DROPPING,  THAT BLUE GREEN ALGAE IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM AGAIN THIS  YEAR.

AND THESE BLOOMS WILL LOOK A  LOT LIKE THEY DID IN 2019 WHEN WE LEARNED WHY THEY ARE  HAPPENING AND WHAT SORTS OF PROBLEMS THEY CAN CAUSE.

ON  AUGUST 13 AS THE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN ALBUQUERQUE  CLIMBED ABOVE NORMAL TO 94 DEGREE, THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF  ENGINEERS CLOSED ABIQUIU LAKE TO SWIMMING AND OTHER  RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

NINE DAYS LATER IT CLOSED COCHITI  LAKE.

>> Bixby:   CYANOBACTERIA OR WHAT WE KNOW THEM AS BLUE  GREEN ALGAE, TECHNICALLY THEY ARE NOT ALGAE.

THEY ARE ACTUALLY A BACTERIA THAT CAN PHOTOSYNTHESIZE, SO  THEY CAN HARVEST LIGHT FROM THE SUN LIKE PLANTS AND TREES  AND GRASSES AND SHRUBS.

THEY LIVE IN THE WATER.

GENERALLY THEY ARE MICROSCOPIC, SO, YOU CAN SEE  THEM ON A HEAD OF A PIN.

AND, NATURALLY, IN LAKES AND  RIVERS AND STREAMS AND PONDS, AS PART OF THE GREEN PART OF  THE FOOD WEB, SO, CHECK IT OUT.

ALL OF THIS IS THIS CYANOBACTERIA THAT IS  BLOOMING.

>> Laura: BECKY BIXBY IS A  PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT.

SHE IS ALSO ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM  AND SHE STUDIES ALGAE FOR A LIVING.

LOW WATER LEVELS, HIGH TEMPERATURES AND LONG SUNNY  DAYS, OF WHICH NEW MEXICO HAS HAD PLENTY OF THIS YEAR, ALL  HELP TRIGGER THESE BLOOMS.

RUN OFF FROM FARM FIELDS AND  RANCH LANDS AND UPSTREAM POLLUTION ARE FACTORS TOO.

A COMBINATION OF THESE CAN CAUSE CERTAIN SPECIES OF  CYANOBACTERIA TO GROW AND QUICKLY MULTIPLY.

THEIR CELLS FORM THESE BLOOMS IN SLOW-MOVING WATERS LIKE  LAKES AND PONDS.

THEN THE BLOOMS CAN CREATE TOXINS.

JOHN MUELLER IS OPERATIONS PROJECT MANAGER AT ABIQUIU  LAKE WHICH IS ON THE CHAMA RIVER.

>> Mueller: MOST ALGAE ARE NOT HARMFUL BUT WHAT WE SEE UP  HERE AND TESTED WITH HIGHER TOXICITY LEVELS IS A LIME  GREEN KIND OF PEA SOUP COLOR.

IF YOU SEE THAT TYPE OF  FORMATION OR FILM ON THE WATER, AVOID IT, AVOID CONTACT  WITH IT, DON'T LET YOUR PET SWIM IN IT.

KEEP YOUR KIDS OUT OF IT AND COME TO A PARK RANGER SO WE  CAN KIND OF GET AN UNDERSTANDING IF THIS IS A NEW  AREA, WHAT WE NEED TO KEY INTO.

BUT THE BIGGEST THING IS JUST IF YOU SEE THAT, STAY OUT OF  THE WATER.

>> Laura: TOUCHING THE ALGAE  CAN LEAVE RASHES OR BLISTERS ON YOUR SKIN.

SWALLOWING IT CAN CAUSE STOMACH PROBLEMS, BREATHING  DROPLETS LIKE WHEN WATER SKIING OR SWIMMING CAN ALSO  LEAVE A HAY FEVER LIKE SYMPTOM.

THE TOXINS CAN EVEN CAUSE LIVER OR NEUROLOGICAL  PROBLEMS.

FOR DOGS WHO GULP LOTS OF WATER WHEN THEY SWIM  OR LICK THE ALGAE OFF THEIR COATS, EXPOSURES CAN BE FATAL.

NOT ONLY THAT WHEN THE BLOOMS DIE OFF AND DECAY, THEY USE UP  THE OXYGEN IN THE WATER, SOMETIMES TRIGGERING FISH  KILL.

MUELLER AND STATE HEALTH  OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVEN'T HEARD REPORTS FROM PEOPLE WHO  HAVE GOTTEN SICK.

AND MUELLER SAYS THEY ARE  MONITORING WATER IN THE LAKE AND BELOW THE DAM WHERE THERE  AREN'T ANY SIGNS OF THE ALGAE.

>> Mueller: WE DO NOT WANT TO  NEGATIVELY AFFECT PEOPLE COMING UP AND RECREATING AND  ENJOYING THE RESOURCE.

WE ARE TRYING TO STRIKE A  BALANCE OF A GOOD RESPONSE PLAN, OUTREACH PROGRAMS, TO  EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, BUT ALSO, IF NECESSARY, PARTIAL  CLOSURES.

WE DON'T WANT TO DO A FULL  CLOSURE BECAUSE THAT DOES HAVE IMPACT.

BUT OUR MAIN GOAL AND  FOCUS IS TO KEEP VISITORS AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.

>> Laura: ABOVE ABIQUI LAKE, WATER IN THE CHAMA RIVER IS  NUTRIENT RICH WITH HIGH LEVELS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS.

BECAUSE THE RIVER MOVES RELATIVELY FAST, THE BLOOMS  AREN'T A PROBLEM THERE BUT THAT WATER ENDS UP IN THE  LAKE.

KRISTOPHER BARRIOS IS WITH THE NEW MEXICO  ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT WHICH REGULATES POLLUTION IN THESE  HIGH NUTRIENT LEVELS.

>> Barrios: THIS CAN COME FROM  PLANT SOURCES LIKE WASTEWATER TREATMENTS PLANTS AND A LARGE  PORTION COMES FROM RUNOFF FROM STORM EVENTS, AGRICULTURE  RUNOFF FROM GRAZE LAND AND IRRIGATION WATER.

>> Laura: IT IS NOT REALISTIC TO KILL OFF THE BACTERIA IN  LAKES AND RESERVOIRS ESPECIALLY NOT ACROSS BIG  AREAS.

AND THE TREATMENTS THEMSELVES  COULD KILL FISH AND HARM THE ECOSYSTEM.

INSTEAD THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE NUTRIENTS GETTING INTO THE  RIVER.

THAT INCLUDES WORKING WITH THE  AG AND LIVESTOCK COMMUNITIES TO STOP SO MUCH NITROGEN AND  PHOSPHOROUS FROM FERTILIZERS AND WASTE FROM GETTING INTO  STREAMS AND RIVERS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THESE BLOOMS ARE A PROBLEM IN THE MIDWEST, IN THE SOUTH EVEN  SOMETIMES IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO, BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING  AT COCHITI AND ABIQUIU THIS YEAR IS NEW.

AS THE CLIMATE WARMS AND LAKES AND RESERVOIRS KEEP DROPPING,  WE ARE GOING TO SEE MORE BLOOMS IN NEW MEXICO.

THAT MEANS FACING THE  CHALLENGES ISN'T JUST ABOUT CLOSING LAKES HERE AND THERE  OR GETTING THROUGH THIS SUMMER.

THE BLOOMS ARE POINTING US TOWARDS BIGGER ISSUES IN OUR  STATE WHEN IT COMES TO WATER SUPPLIES, RISING TEMPERATURES  AND WATER MANAGEMENT.

>> Bixby: IN SOME WAYS, IT IS  INTERESTING BECAUSE IT BRINGS A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT  INTERESTS TOGETHER, A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER.

PEOPLE WHO ARE MANAGING THE RESERVOIRS, PEOPLE WHO ARE  MANAGING DRINKING WATER, PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE  HEALTH.

AND SO PULLING PEOPLE TOGETHER  TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS REALLY EXCITING IN A STATE  WITH A LOT OF RESERVOIRS AND WE ARE DEPENDENT ON THE  RESERVOIRS FOR VARIOUS THINGS.

>> Laura: EVEN UP IN NORTHERN  NEW MEXICO WITH RELATIVELY COOL SUMMERS, THIS WON'T BE  THE LAST TIME NEW MEXICANS SEE THESE BLOOMS IN LAKES.

BIXBY SAYS IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE MONITORING THE WATER  AND COLLECTING DATA ON THE BLOOMS AND WHY THEY ARE  HAPPENING.

SHE ALSO SAYS IT IS IMPORTANT  THAT ALL THE AGENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS STAY AT THE TABLE  TO THINK ABOUT A STATE-WIDE PLAN SO WE KNOW HOW TO RESPOND  TO BLOOMS AND ESPECIALLY STOP THEM BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.

FOR NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS AND OUR LAND, I AM LAURA PASKUS.