Toxic algal bloom

Number and sizes

In the U.S., every coastal state has had harmful algal blooms over the last decade and new species have emerged in new locations that were not previously known to have caused problems. Inland, major rivers have seen an increase in their size and frequency. In 2015 the Ohio River had a bloom which stretched an "unprecedented" 650 miles (1,050 km) into adjoining states and tested positive for toxins, which created drinking water and recreation problems. A portion of Utah's Jordan River was closed due to toxic algal bloom in 2016. Future predictions were made based on climate change projections and Hydrological models: from 2024 to 2090, the mean number of HAB occurrences in U.S. lakes would rise from 7 days to 18–39 days.