Kansas HAB Response Program Overview Water Authority Meeting • Topeka, KS • 29 January 2020 Kansas HAB Response Program

Overview • What are Harmful Algal Blooms? • The KDHE HAB Response Program • How it operates • Recent statistics • Intersecting efforts • Public water supply • Human and animal health • Collaborations • Mitigation projects Advisory signage developed by KDHE

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

What are Algae?

Diverse group of Contain chlorophyll Produce Foundation of “proto-plants” and other pigments oxygen marine and ranging from giant but lack stems, through freshwater seaweeds to tiny roots, leaves, and photo- food web plankton (many are vascular tissue synthesis single-celled)

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

What are Blue-Green Algae? • Not closely related to other algae • Gram-negative bacteria: Cyanobacteria • Photosynthetic pigment phycocyanin works alongside chlorophyll • Many can regulate buoyancy • Many form colonies or clumps • Some species can produce toxins • Comprise most harmful freshwater blooms Lakewood Lake, 2018

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Cyanobacteria of primary concern in Kansas

Dolichospermum Aphanizomenon * Microcystis Cylindrospermopsis * ( = Anabaena) *

* many can fix atmospheric nitrogen

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Cyanotoxins and other compounds • Many toxins can be produced by many species • No 1:1 relationship • Diverse chemicals, multiple modes of toxicity • Nerve toxins, e.g. anatoxin-a • Liver/kidney toxins, e.g. microcystins, cylindrospermopsin • Acute effects may include neural damage, skin and respiratory irritation, gastrointestinal and flu like syndrome • Chronic exposure: organ damage, possible cancers Microcystin-LR chemical • No known antidotes structure. • Other cyanobacterial compounds such as geosmin and MIB, Microcystins are the most while not toxic, can affect water taste/odor common cyanotoxins in Kansas lakes.

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Harmful Algal Blooms • Cyanobacteria are not the enemy

• First photosynthesizers on earth (O2) • Natural component of aquatic systems • Problematic when certain species BLOOM in high density, persistently or frequently • Detrimental effect on beneficial uses • Indicate a water quality (nutrient) problem • Conditions favoring blooms: high nutrients, ample sunlight, and warm, still water • Often found in coves, downwind shorelines

Ancient cyanobacterial colonies (stromatolites) in Shark Bay, Australia, Used with permission from Wikimedia Commons, Alton

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Known possible impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms

Health and Quality of Life Economy Ecology

• Health impacts to humans, pets, • Loss of recreational • Reduces diversity and and livestock revenues: boating, health of the biological • Toxic contamination of drinking fishing, swimming, community (poor food water supply hunting, camping source for grazers) • Taste and odor problems • Increased costs for • Algal die-offs create low • Loss of recreational water supply oxygen conditions that kill opportunities • Decreased property aquatic life values • Reduces water quality

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Challenges in monitoring and managing • Blooms may develop very rapidly • Blooms moved by wind and waves • Specialized cells can survive freezing/drying • Microscopic ID of algae can tell what toxins might be produced, but not if any are present • Toxin production is unpredictable, even in species/strains known to have the capacity • Killing cyanobacteria can release toxins • Reducing nutrient availability is a complex, long term endeavor

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Kansas HAB Response Program • Started in 2010 • Operates with existing staff and resources • Complaint-based response program • Public lakes only • Focus on recreational exposure, April 1 – October 31 • Samples taken from fixed shoreline locations • Weekly sampling, analysis, and advisory updates • Advisory thresholds based on cell counts and microcystin concentrations • Response Plan is revised annually as needed

The 2019 HAB Response Plan (cover)

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

DRAFT Recreational Advisory Levels for 2020 ADVISORY MICROCYSTIN CYANOBACTERIAL DOCUMENTED LEVEL threshold CELL DENSITY threshold CONDITION (ug/L) (cells/mL) (VISUAL)

NONE < 4.0 AND < 80,000

WATCH > 4.0 OR > 80,000 OR Confirmed bloom

WARNING > 20.0 > 8.0 OR > 250,000 OR Significant surface scum CLOSURE > 2,000 OR > 10 million OR HAZARD

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

HAB Advisories Increasing Over Time

Kansas Public Lakes Affected Sampling Events 50 200 180 45 180 174 167 40 38 160 134 35 32 140 127 125 128 30 120 24 26 96 25 21 22 100 20 16 18 17 80 67 15 60 54 9 10 40 5 20 0 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

2019 Highest Advisory Level by Lake 2019 Advisories

38 lakes affected 257 samples taken from 167 sampling events • 172 cell count analyses • 257 toxin analyses

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

2019 – Weeks2019 Weeks on on AdvisoryAdvisory 30

25 24 21 20 19 18 16 16 15 14 14 13 13 MarionLifted within Co. HAB 12 11 11 Lakeseason 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 JerryExtended Ivey past Pondseason 5

0

Notable in 2019: Extensive flooding, prevalence of small lake HABs, active advisories past October

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Intersection: Public Water Supply • Drinking water thresholds much lower than recreational • Through 2018, Response Program routinely sampled proxy sites for intakes at PWS lakes Recreation• In 2019, KDHE Public Water Supply established a voluntary monitoring program for water systems • Weekly direct testing through KHEL • PWS monitoring supplants proxies, where in effect • PWS lakes are still high priority for response EPA 2015 Health Advisory Levels for Finished Drinking Water EPA 2019 Swimming Advisory Levels for Recreational Water Microcystin Cylindrospermopsin Microcystin Cylindrospermopsin 0.3 ug/L 0.7 ug/L (under 6 yrs)

8 ug/L 15 ug/L 1.6 ug/L 3.0 ug/L (6 and up)

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Intersection: Human and Animal Health • KDHE Public Health investigates complaints of suspected animal and human HAB illness • Hotline & web reporting form • Protected health information • Response Program collects environmental data to support investigations as needed • Complaints classified as Suspect, Probable, Confirmed, or not a case • Reported to US CDC OneHealth system • 2019: 7 complaints yielded 3 probable cases • 2 human, 1 dog • 2015-2019: 17 cases from 34 complaints

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Intersection: Collaborations

• To confirm bloom complaints (Federal, State, and Local agencies statewide) • To manage water levels at Milford: Spring drawdown to prevent summer blooms (KWO, USACE, KDWPT) • To improve monitoring and detection methods • Ground truth CyAN satellite imagery (USEPA, USGS) • Calibrate FlowCam automated microscopy (USEPA) • Investigate utility of qPCR for detection of toxin producing genes (USEPA and others) • To understand the extent and nature of cyano blooms (USGS, academic partners, and others)

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Intersection: Mitigation

• SFY19 & SFY20: Legislature, with KWA endorsement, provided funds to prevent or treat blooms on Milford and Marion Reservoirs • Two contracts awarded from SFY19 funds • Peroxide algaecide treatment of Milford and Marion: Aquatic Control, Inc. • Study of Marion to determine feasibility of nutrient binding: WSU/KBS team • Both contractors have begun work • Flooding created delays, so contract timelines were extended Bloom at Dam, June 2019

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Aquatic Mitigation: Control, Inc. crew applying Peroxide Algaecide algaecide at Milford • Flooding prevented pretreatment Milford Gathering Pond and all treatment at Marion • Bloom on Milford Gathering Pond offered pilot site with low stakes & high potential

• Half of pond treated with liquid H2O2 Fish • Cyanobacterial density and toxins hatchery declined dramatically over three days • No side effects on water quality • But: bloom returned within one week Swim beach • Work will proceed on Milford & Marion as conditions allow

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Mitigation: Marion Nutrient Binding Study

• WSU/KBS team has begun work on Marion • Assembled historical data • Taken sediment cores and water samples • Installed vertical sensor array to measure temperature and oxygen • Hired postdoc to manage project • Work continues into 2020

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Mitigation – Lessons • Mother nature is unpredictable: timing of work opportunities does not match SFYs • All efforts must be framed in watershed and weather context (e.g., 2019 flooding) • Algaecide treatments may be effective but are unlikely to be “one and done” • Difficult to anticipate costs (e.g., algaecide cost depends on treatment area and cell density) • Smaller lakes could offer good option for efficacy and safety studies Marion Reservoir Picnic Area, June 2019

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Harmful Algal Blooms in Kansas: 2019 Statistics

Questions?

Elizabeth Smith [email protected] 785-296-4332

Big Eleven Lake in Wyandotte Co., June 2019

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

HAB Lake Sizes by Year (acres) HAB advisory type 40 40

35 35

30 30

25 25

20 20

15 15 HAB event HAB 10 10

5 5

0 HAB with a confirmed Numberof lakes 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Number of lakes with at least one confirmed confirmed one least at with lakes of Number 0.1-10 10.1-100 100.1-1000 1000.1-10000 10000.1+ Started with Warning Watch elevated to warning Watch only

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans HAB Response: 2020 Updates

Practical effect of lowering Microcystin threshold? • Explored 2010-2019 data several ways and summarized consequences Advisory Weeks by Type, 2015-19, for 162 Lakes • Does not include advisories based on visual cues 9 • Includes only samples where both cell count and toxin data present • Note that MOST of our data-based warnings are on cell count 103 • If 8 ug/L warning threshold had been in place since 2010: • Out of 1,251 samples analyzed, 867 warranted advisories. Of these, 46 MC measurements (5%) fell between 8 and 20, and would have yielded a warning rather than a watch. But many of these had companion 486 samples elsewhere with higher values, so no change for the lake. • Out of 250 advisory events, only two lakes would have achieved “warning” rather than “watch” (Lake Scott & South Lake, both in 2012) Cell count Cell count + Toxin • For 27 events, Warnings would have been 1 to 3 weeks longer in duration (~49 weeks of warning rather than watch over ten years) Toxin

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

4/29 5/6 5/13 5/20 5/27 6/3 6/10 6/17 6/24 7/1 7/8 7/15 7/22 7/29 8/5 8/12 8/19 8/26 9/2 9/9 9/16 9/23 9/30 10/7 10/14 10/21 10/28 Sampler Waterbody and ID 5/2 5/9 5/16 5/23 5/30 6/6 6/13 6/20 6/27 7/4 7/11 7/18 7/25 8/1 8/8 8/15 8/22 8/29 9/5 9/12 9/19 9/26 10/3 10/10 10/17 10/24 10/31 Atchison Co SFL (25%) LM0126 Central Watch Watch Watch Watch L Atchison County Park Lake (75%) LM0606 NE Watch W W W L Augusta City Lake (25%) (PWS) LM0400 SC L Big Eleven Lake (75%) LM0671 Central/NE Watch W W W W W W W W W W W W W Watch Watch Watch Watch L Camp Hawk Lake (75%) LM0634 SC Watch W W W W W Watch Watch Watch Watch L Carbondale East (Strowbridge) (25%) (PWS) LM0512 Central Watch Watch Watch L Carousel Lake in Gage Park LM0769 Central Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch L Central Park Lake (75%) LM0609 Central Watch Watch L W W W L Cheney Lake (25%) (PWS) LM0710 SC L Elk Horn Lake (75%) LM0610 Central/NE Watch Watch Watch Watch W W W W L Fall River at State Street, South of Eureka SE Watch L Gathering Pond (Hatchery Supply Pond) LM0764 NC W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W Watch Watch W Hiawatha City Lake (75%) LM0116 Central/NE W W Watch Watch Watch Watch W W W W W W W W L Hodgeman County SFL (75%) LM0742 SW Watch Watch Watch Watch W W W W Watch Watch Watch L Jerry Ivey Pond (75%) LM0760 NC W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W (25%) (PWS) LM0160 NC L Keith Sebelius (Norton) Reservoir (75%) (PWS) LM0100 NW Watch W W W Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch L La Cygne Lake (25%) LM0440 SE/NE W L Lake Afton (25%) LM0492 SC Watch Watch W W W W W W Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch L Lake Jeanette LM0768 Central/NE W W W W W W W W Lake Shawnee (25%) LM0122 Central Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch L Lakewood Park Lake (75%) LM0698 NC W W W W W W W W W W W W W Lebo Kids' Pond (Lebo City Park Lake) (25%) LM0656 SE W W W W W W W W Watch Watch Watch L (75%) LM0150 NC L L W W Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch L Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area LM0532 SE W W W W W L Marion Co. Lake (25%) LM0121 NC W Watch W Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch W W W W W W W W W W W W W W L Marion Reservoir (25%) (PWS) LM0200 NC Watch W W W Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch L Meadowbrook Park Lake LM0767 Central/NE Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch W W W W L Melvern Outlet Pond (25%) (PWS) LM0271 Central/NE W W W W W W W W W L Melvern Outlet Swim Pond (25%) LM0272 Central/NE W W W W W W W W W L Mission Lake (75%) (PWS) LM0136 Central/NE Watch Watch Watch L Mize Lake LM0766 Central L Neosho County SFL (25%) LM0446 SE W W W W W Watch Watch Watch Watch L New Yates Center Lake (25%) (PWS) LM0538 SE L Test T/O Overbrook City Lake (75%) LM0205 Central W W L Overbrook City Kids Pond LM0763 Central L Pomona Lake (25%) (PWS) LM0280 Central L Riggs Park Lake (75%) LM0224 SC Watch Watch Watch L Rock Garden Pond in Gage Park LM0761 Central Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch L South Lake (75%) LM0675 Central/NE W W W W W W Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Watch Villa High Lake (Colby City Pond) (75%) LM0713 NW W W L Webster Reservoir (25%) LM0120 NW L Watch W W L W W L Watch L Westlake (Gage Park Lake) (75%) LM0611 Central Watch W W W W W W W W W L Wilderness Lake LM0765 Central L Yates Center Kids' Fishing Pond LM0770 SE W W W W W W W W L Yorkshire Channel E. of N. Crestline Dr NE Watch L

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans Kansas HAB Response Program

Response Process 1. Suspected HAB reported to KDHE • Web-based reporting system and hotline 2. KDHE contacts lake manager for validation 3. Samples collected by KDHE District offices • PWS coordination if relevant 4. Samples analyzed at KDHE Topeka office 5. Public Health threat assessed 6. Advisories issued (usually on Thursdays) 7. Resampling at intervals dictated by health risk • Until advisory is lifted or season ends

Protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans