For decades, public health messaging around toxic algae blooms in Oregon and Washington have painted a clear picture of what to avoid: warm, stagnant lakes and ponds where planktonic algae colonies can grow and accumulate.
But Clark County health officials are shifting to track a previously-unmonitored form of toxic growths called benthic algae that can grow in faster-moving waterways — and can be just as deadly if ingested by people or pets.
At a Clark County Board of Public Health meeting Wednesday in Vancouver, county public health specialist Maggie Palomaki explained what sets toxic benthic algae apart from the type of algae blooms people are familiar with…