Cyanobacteria, commonly though incorrectly referred to as blue-green algae, blooms in the Willamette River as the water reflects the Kevin J. Duckworth Memorial Dock pilings in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 27, 2026.
Eli Imadali / OPB
For more than 20 years, Oregon has been monitoring toxic algal blooms. Other states such as Utah, Wyoming and California have been monitoring the blooms as well.
Now, new reporting from High Country News highlights how these blooms are happening more frequently and are lasting longer. Reporter Christine Peterson joins us to share more on why this is happening and what states are doing to try to address it.
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