State agencies ask the public to report harmful algal blooms

HELENA – As we move full blown into summer, the public is urged to keep an eye out for Harmful Algal Blooms. HABs are a seasonal phenomenon on Montana’s lakes, reservoirs and ponds that can make people sick and even kill pets and livestock.

The Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality are enlisting the public’s help with identifying suspected HAB sites. The agencies remind the public of the HAB reporting website – www.hab.mt.gov – as well as a 24-hour hotline at 1-888-849-2938.

Last year, the State HAB team verified 41 citizen rep...