LITTLETON — Colorado Parks and Wildlife said tests for blue-green algae in a pond in Chatfield State Park’s off-leash dog park came back negative.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environmental Labs (CDPHE) sampled water from the ponds in the dog leash in an effort to confirm if blue-green algae — which has been known to kill dogs in other parts of the country — was present. Back in laboratories, they searched for toxins related to the algae, like microcystin, cylindrospermopsin, anatoxin-a and nodularian, and all came back negative.
READ MORE: Blue-green algae found in Boulder and Aurora lakes: What you should know
The testing came in the wake of a report that a dog had died after visiting the dog park. A veterinarian told the dog owner that the dog had had similar symptoms associated with the algae.
Initial water samples were tested and then further lab work confirmed algae was not present in Chatfield.
Chatfield State Park Manager Scott Roush said they will continue to monitor the water quality and will alert the public if anything changes.
CPW recommends understanding algae and how it can impact your health and your pet’s health. Here are some tips from CPW:
· Avoid swimming or ingesting water with heavy amounts of algae
· Lakes with high nutrients, warm temperatures and calm conditions are more susceptible to blue-green algae
· The public can use phosphorus free fertilizers and pick up after their dog to help improve water quality in lakes and ponds
CPW said most algae is safe and does not produce toxins. Officials do perform routine visual monitoring for blooms and if they see one that looks suspicious, they will test it.
