Warm weather, inadequate water flow, and pollution run-off have created the resurfacing of the algal bloom in different areas throughout the Stockton Delta.
The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a warning after testing samples around Stockton waterways which ranged from caution to danger.
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla with Restore the Delta says people are advised to stay out of the water in places such as the Stockton Deepwater Channel, the Stockton Waterfront, and the Calaveras River.
She says the bloom can be a real health risk to boaters, skiers, and swimmers as well as their pets.
“They can cause problems with the lungs, lung infection,” she said. “We have recreators who could be breathing in the droplets. It’s a public health disaster in the making. It’s too much for one region.”
The bloom comes from a number of different sources, Barrigan-Parrilla says.
"You have a concentration of nitrates discharged from industry, reduced water flows because of management decisions by how water will be managed in California, climate change conditions and this is going to get worse year after year if we don’t get a handle on it and get it changed."
Parrilla says without sufficient water flows down the San Joaquin River, it could be October or November before the bloom fades away.
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.