November 7, 2024
Media Contact: Brookie Crawford, brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov
North Fork of Shenandoah River Algae Mat Alert Lifted
Virginia Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force Suspends Response Sampling for 2024 Season
RICHMOND, Va. – Effective immediately, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is lifting the algal mat advisory for the North Fork of the Shenandoah River due to the end of the recreational season.
An algal mat alert has been in place since July for the North Fork of the Shenandoah River from the Deer Rapids Bridge to the Town of Strasburg.
The Virginia Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force suspends response sampling and any active algal mat alerts at the end of October each year when the recreational (swimming) season concludes and temperatures begin cooling in natural waters.
Algae mats, which are still present in November in areas of a waterbody, may persist into late fall and possibly winter months. The public should avoid discolored water or scums that are green or bluish-green because they are more likely to contain toxins.
The Virginia Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force, which includes the VDH, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Old Dominion University Phytoplankton Laboratory, will resume response efforts in May 2025, weather permitting.
For more information visit www.SwimHealthyVA.com.
# # #