City Of Reno: People And Their Pets Advised To Use Caution Around Virginia Lake

Press release from the City of Reno:

08/27/2021 8:58 AM

The City of Reno is advising residents and their pets to avoid all contact with the water of Virginia Lake until further notice. The lake water is contaminated as a result of an algae bloom.

City of Reno Parks and Recreation staff will post caution signs in English and Spanish around the Virginia Lake perimeter.

The combined drought-induced low-water condition, high phosphorus levels, and extremely low flow/circulation has created the ideal conditions for a blue-green algae bloom. The presence of the algae promotes the growth of a class of toxins known as cyanotoxins.

There is a high risk of potentially harmful concentration of these toxins, which is a significant concern for the public’s health, as well as for pets, fish, birds, and mammals, especially when ingested.

"The City of Reno does not have control over the water flows. Due to the drought and the low level of the water in the Truckee River, the water can't physically enter into Cochran Ditch, so we are unable to bring water in and properly circulate Virginia Lake," Reno Parks and Recreation Director Jaime Schroeder said.

For more information about cyanobacteria/cyanotoxins, visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.

This press release was produced by the City of Reno. The views expressed here are the author’s own.