More algae testing around Lake Tahoe after social media post goes viral about death of dog

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Scientists test the beautiful blue water of Lake Tahoe often, and shoreline testing is routinely done in search of possible harmful algal blooms, or HABs.

A social media post was made on TikTok and shared on many other platforms about a dog dying after being in the water at El Dorado Beach or Nevada Beach. The dog owner stated her veterinarian said it was due to HABs.

Pre-holiday testing for algae around the lake, and all tests came up as negative for HABs. Still, due to the possibility of a dog dying at Lake Tahoe due to algae, staff from the Lahontan Water Board visited El Dorado Beach in South Lake Tahoe on Monday to collect water samples. They did not find any visible indicators at the beach or along the shoreline.

As a precautionary measure, the City of South Lake Tahoe has posted advisory signs to warn the public of the potential risk until sample results are received.

The other beach mentioned in the social media post, Nevada Beach, is having water collected by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection from both the beach and the backwater pool. The Forest Service will post caution/advisory signs at Nevada Beach until further investigation and water samples can be collected and analyzed.

Lahontan said El Dorado Beach was not sampled as part of the Water Board’s pre-holiday assessment, but they did visit several beaches nearby and collected samples on June 11, 2024. No visible algae were present during those visits, and sample results did not indicate the presence of cyanobacteria or the toxins Microcystin or Anatoxin-a. Sites sampled include Connolly Beach (Timber Cove Marina), Regan Beach, and Taylor Creek Marsh (which was ponding on Kiva Beach). Other sites visited in Lake Tahoe that showed no visual signs of algae were present were Kiva Beach, Commons Beach, and Kings Beach.

"We would also urge the dog owner to file a new bloom report on My Water Quality: California Harmful Algal Blooms so the proper agency can start an investigation into the case, if the dog owner desires this approach," said Mary Fiore-Wagner, senior environmental scientist supervisor with Lahontan Water Board.

This website also contains helpful information the public can use to stay safe and learn more about HABs.

As part of the Illness Workgroup which investigates suspected HAB-related illnesses, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has attempted to reach the dog owner so the dog owner can provide the veterinarian information for follow-up.