With summer in full swing, Idaho, like many other states, is finding harmful algal blooms (HABs) in water bodies across the state. To help raise public awareness, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is posting on social media regularly throughout the summer with the tag ‘#PlaySafe’ to encourage Idahoans to be aware of HABS as they recreate in and around water. The Facebook posts, which include Spanish translation, have featured photos of HABs and notices of waterbodies with active blooms and health advisories. Similar information has been shared on DEQ’s Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
For those not on social media, the DEQ published a news release that provides tips to protect people and animals from HABs and includes links to recreational water health advisories, cyanobacteria sampling test results, frequently asked questions, and a fact sheet on HABs and fishing.
