The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will perform additional tests on the water in Payette Lake near McCall, after a dog became sick after swimming in the popular lake.
The DEQ took a report of a dog that became ill and did an initial set of tests for cyanobacteria in the lake on Tuesday. Central District Health said in a news release Friday the tests did not show any presence of “the most common types of cyanobacteria.”
CDH reported that after the negative tests, a veterinarian who treated the dog said it had symptoms that line up with exposure to a neurotoxin – like cyanobacteria or so-called HABs or harmful algal blooms.
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The DEQ will take new samples after the end of the weekend and CDH says the samples will be sent to an out-of-state lab for additional testing. Those results could come in mid-next week.
CDH did not yet issue a health advisory for the lake, as it did for the Cascade Reservoir earlier this week. HABs were found in the reservoir – and noted both people and animals can become sick from recreating in or drinking the water, or eating fish or shellfish from the reservoir.
