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

NINE DAYS LATER IT CLOSED COCHITI LAKE.

BACTERIA 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 WE CAN SEE THEM ON THE HEAD OF A PIN AND THEY ARE NATURALLY IN LAKES AND RIVERS AND STREAMS AND PONDS AS PART OF THE GREEN PART OF THE PLANT.

SO CHECK IT OUT.

ALL OF THIS IS JUST BACTERIA THAT IS BLOOMING.

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, ALL HELP TRIGGER THESE BLOOMS.

RUNOFF FROM FARM FIELDS AND RANCH LANDS ARE FACTORS TOO.

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

THEIR CELLS FORM THESE BLOOMS IN SLOW MOVING WATER OF LAKES AND PONDS AND THEN THE BLOOMS CAN CREATE TOXINS.

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

MOST ALGAES ARE NOT HARMFUL BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING UP HERE AND TESTED WITH HIGHER TOXICITY LEVEL IS A LIME GREEN, PEA SOUP COLOR.

IF YOU SEE THAT TYPE OF FORMATION OR FILM ON THE WATER, AVOID IT, AVOID CONTACTS WITH IT, DON'T LET YOUR PET SWIM IT IN, KEEP YOUR KIDS OUT OF IT AND COME TELL A PARK RANGER SO WE CAN KIND OF GET AN UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW AREA, AND WHAT WE NEED TO KEY INTO'.

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

TOUCHING THE ALGAE CAN LEAVE RASHERS OR BLISTERS ON YOUR SKIN.

SWALLOWING IT CAN CAUSE STOMACH PROBLEMS.

BREATHING DROPLETS LIKE WHEN WATER SKIING OR SWIMMING CAN LEAD TO HAY FEVER LIKE SYMPTOMS AND TOXINS CAN CAUSE LIVER OR NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS.

FOR DOGS WHO GULP LOTS OF WATER WHEN THEY SWIM OR LICK THE ALGAE OFF THEIR COATS, EXPOSURE 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 THE 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.

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

WE'RE 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 IS TO KEEP OUR VISITORS AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.

ABOVE ABIQUIU LAKE, WATER IN THE CHAMA RIVER IS NUTRIENT RICH WITH HIGH LEVELS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS.

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 AND THESE HIGH NUTRIENT LEVELS.

IT CAN COME FROM PLANT SOURCES LIKE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

ALSO A LARGE PORTION COMES FROM RUNOFF AND STORM EVENTS, AGRICULTURE, RUNOFF FROM GRAZED LAND AND IRRIGATION WATER.

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 NUTRIENTS GETTING INTO THE RIVER.

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

THESE BLOOMS ARE A PROBLEM IN THE MIDWEST, SOUTH AND 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 OF THESE 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.

IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT BRINS 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 WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE HEALTH.

AND, SO, PULLING THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS REALLY EXCITING.

AND WE ARE A STATE WITH A LOT OF RESERVOIRS AND WE ARE DEPENDENT ON THE RESERVOIRS FOR VARIOUS THINGS.

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

SO, 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.