The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) are advising people to avoid contact with Lower Melville Pond in Portsmouth and Carr Pond in North Kingstown due to a suspected blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) bloom in the pond.
The blue-green algae bloom was found in Lower Melville Pond in Portsmouth and Carr Pond in North Kingstown, the department said in a statement. The toxins in the water can make people and pets sick.
“Use caution in all areas of Lower Melville and Carr Ponds,” the statement said. “Cyanobacteria can sink or float to control their location in the water column. Other factors such as, wind, rain and wakes from recreational activities can affect the location of a bloom. All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, should be avoided. People should not ingest water or eat fish from the ponds. Pets can also be affected by exposure to the algal toxins and thus owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in the water. The advisory will remain in effect until further notice.”
Symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning include skin irritation, stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Young children and pets are particularly at risk. If you come into contact with the water, rinse your skin with clean water as soon as possible. Pets should also be kept clean and monitored for signs of poisoning, such as loss of energy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or any unexplained sickness that occurs within a day or so after being in contact with water.
Anyone who comes into contact with suspected blue-green algae bloom is urged to contact the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s Office of Water Resources at 222-4700 or DEM.OWRCyano@dem.ri.gov.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
