Toxic algae now prevalent in Klamath Basin
From the lake to the ocean, the waters of the Klamath are once again teeming with toxic blue-green algae at the end of a hot, dry summer. Microcystis aeruginosa, a species of photosynthetic cyanobacteria that produces the neurotoxin microcystin, has been detected in nearly all reaches of the Klamath Basin at or below Upper Klamath Lake. The harmful algal blooms have plagued the basin and its residents for decades, fueled by nutrient runoff, stagnant water and summer sunshine.