MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will no longer issue advisories against swimming in 11 Oregon reservoirs it manages or otherwise using the water during blue-green algae blooms.
The corps also says it won't test the reservoirs to see if levels of cyanobacteria exceed state health standards.
Corps officials tell the Medford Mail Tribune the public relies too much on advisories to decide whether lakes are safe.
One problem, an official says, is blue-green algae levels vary from place to place, so a positive test in one cove of a lake may not reflect risks in another.
The Corps plans instead to focus on educating people about what unhealthful water looks like.
No human deaths have been confirmed from contact with blue-green algae on Oregon water bodies.
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