Water School

Golden algae is a naturally occurring microscopic algae that typically occurs in brackish water. Blooms of this algae can produce toxins that are lethal to fish and bivalves (mussels and clams). There is no evidence the toxins produced by golden algae are harmful to humans, livestock or wildlife.  It characteristically appears as brownish or tea-colored water.

If you see dead or dying fish on a Brazos River Authority reservoir, a golden algae bloom may be the cause. Please help us track the progress of golden algae blooms by providing information on what you've seen through our Harmful Algal Bloom tracking system. The HAB system will allow you to provide the date, time, and place of the possible bloom. Providing information on an estimated number of dead or dying fish as well as the types of fish you see will help us to understand and track the progression of the bloom. You may find the system here:  https://arcg.is/14COnK or by scanning this code: