SALT LAKE CITY — A popular area for those walking their dogs in Salt Lake City has been roped off due to the discovery of harmful algae in the Liberty Park pond.
Not only should pets be kept away from the pond, but parents are being advised to keep their children far from the water as well.
Caution tape and posted signs currently greet visitors to the pond.
"We were just wondering what was going on because there was all the tape and he was like it was probably — the algae — the algae issues," said a family visiting the park.
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality tested for harmful algal blooms, with results showing cyanobacteria and a small amount of hepatotoxin. Cyanobacteria is considered an harmful algae.
Up to 30 ducks were found dead earlier this month, leading the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to submit some of the animals for testing. On Monday, the department reported none of the tests showed the ducks had died of avian flu, and there is currently no "obvious diagnosis."
According to the DWR, its state wildlife veterinarian suspects the deaths could have been caused by botulism or another toxin. Results from additional tests are still pending.
In the days after the ducks were discovered, crews fixed an aeration system in the Liberty Park pond.
