Idahoans who haven't gotten a Star Card ID yet may want to start planning so they're ready for the deadline, which was recently extended to May 2025.

At that time Idahoans will need a Star Card, U.S. Passport, military ID, or some other form of REAL-ID compliant identification to enter federal buildings or board commercial airplanes.

To get a Star Card, Idahoans must provide a birth certificate or passport, social security card, and two proofs of Idaho residency such as a mortgage statement or current utility bill to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

For those who do not have passports, the Department of Health and Welfare's Bureau of Vital Statistics can provide copies of Idaho birth certificates for $16.

Birth certificate order processing times vary depending on the volume of requests. As requests increase, processing times may also increase. Those who wait until the last minute may encounter delays.

The Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics does not have a public counter, and all requests for certified copies of birth certificates must be submitted online or by mail. Go to www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/vitalrecords for information about how to submit a request and estimated processing times.

If you were not born in Idaho, visit https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm to access a list of U.S. vital records offices

The bureau can also help if there's a mistake on your birth certificate. As with requesting a copy of your birth certificate, act sooner than later to help ensure that mistakes are corrected in time for the new deadline.

Additional information is available at the following links:

• Department of Homeland Security: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id
• Idaho Transportation Department: https://itd.idaho.gov/starcard/
• DHW's Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics: www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/vitalrecords

Kathy Anderson has worked in the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics for 14 years.

James Aydelotte has been bureau chief of the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics for 16 years.

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

I know the employees at the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) work really hard to serve Idahoans. But I love it when that hard work is recognized on a national level.

Idaho’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, helps low-income families buy the food they need to stay healthy. More than 122,400 Idahoans received benefits in October. The federal program is run in Idaho by the Division of Welfare / Self Reliance, which is part of DHW.

I’m very pleased to announce that our program continues to be a leader in the nation for timeliness and accuracy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently published a report that identifies and measures potential risks states may face as they transition to post-pandemic operations. The states were compared to each other and to national targets.

By all the measures, Idaho comes out in the top.

The report considered several different categories during the years of 2019, 2020, and 2021. The categories were customer service level, payment error rate level, SNAP participation trend level, waiver usage level (some states received COVID-19 SNAP waivers to help their programs during pandemic), and combined support level, which signals how unprepared a state might be for the end of the public health emergency.

Idaho was among the 14 states and territories out of 53 that would require no additional support to provide a high level of service for Idaho families when the public health emergency ends. For comparison, 25 out of 53 will require moderate support, and 14 out of 53 will require significant support when it ends.

This is wonderful recognition of the consistently excellent work employees in the Division of Welfare / Self Reliance do to process SNAP applications quickly and efficiently for Idaho families.

We don’t yet know when the federal public health emergency will end, but this means that struggling Idahoans will continue to get their benefits in a timely fashion. The national benchmark for processing SNAP applications is 30 days. In Idaho, hungry families typically receive their benefits within four days of applying.

If you are in need of food assistance, please visit https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/food-assistance/apply-snap or call 877-456-1233.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Public health officials around the country are reminding people that it's OK and appropriate to mask up. This is especially true entering the season of holiday parties and family gatherings.

COVID-19 continues to spread, and it's joined this fall and winter by higher levels of flu and RSV. All three are respiratory illnesses spread by saliva and droplets produced when people talk, cough, sneeze, and even breathe.

One sure-fire way to slow the spread of all three is to wear a quality, well-fitting mask when you are in crowded, indoor environments. N95 or KN95 masks are recommended for the highest protection, but the best mask is the one you’ll use, so get the most protective mask you can that fits well and is comfortable for you.

If you're sick, or you've been around someone who's sick, and you can't stay home, please consider wearing a mask in public. It protects those around you.

Likewise, don't judge those who choose to wear masks. Masks help protect vulnerable people who may be avoiding illness while fighting a severe disease like cancer or heart disease. Or they may be taking as many precautions as possible to protect a vulnerable loved one.

It’s clear that more people are getting sick. RSV has spiked in Idaho the last four weeks. Flu also swept across the U.S. this month, and we estimate high or very high activity in all but one of Idaho's seven public health districts. The percent positivity of COVID-19 tests done in the state and reported to public health also crept upward last week from 6.6 to 7.6 percent.

It's impossible to know how sick you might get from RSV, flu, or COVID-19, but we do know there are steps you can take to try to avoid getting them in the first place. There are vaccines that will help fight flu and COVID-19, and all three can be slowed or stopped when people wear masks.

Holiday parties include family and friends, some of whom may be vulnerable to these viruses that are already circulating. So please think about masking up, especially around very young or older people, and be compassionate and respectful of others who mask up, too.

Resources:

• CDC mask guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/masks.html
• COVID-19 in Idaho: https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/
• Flu in Idaho: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/infectious-disease-idaho
• RSV in Idaho: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/resp-synct

Elke Shaw-Tulloch is the administrator of the Division of Public Health, and the state’s public health officer. She has worked for the department since 1996 and was promoted to division administrator in 2012. Since February 2020, she has focused most of her time on responding to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Healthcare systems in rural areas like Idaho face unique challenges. More than 88 percent of Idaho is classified as rural. DHW’s Bureau of Rural health and Primary Care is working to confront those challenges in several ways.

More than 98 percent of Idaho faces a shortage of primary care professionals, and more than 95 percent of the state doesn’t have enough dental health professionals to serve their communities. One-hundred percent of Idaho has too few mental health professionals.

To work toward improving these numbers, the Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care offers programs and resources to improve access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas.

These efforts include clinician recruitment and retention programs such as loan repayment programs when they decide to practice in Idaho for a certain amount of time and in health professional shortage area designations. Efforts also include education and resources for critical access hospitals, rural health clinics, and free medical clinics, as well as support for the transition to value-based healthcare from fee-for-service care. 

To help draw attention to these statewide challenges, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a proclamation on Thursday, Nov. 17, to honor National Rural Health Day. The proclamation draws attention to the “distinct and critical role” the Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care and Idaho Rural Health Association play by leading efforts to meet rural Idahoans’ unique healthcare needs.  

Idahoans who live in rural communities  tend to be older, more likely to be uninsured or underinsured, have a greater number of chronic illnesses, and are more likely to have poorer health behaviors because they have limited access to healthy foods and physical activity.

Rural residents are more likely than those who live in urban areas to die early from all five leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke.

Health services, meanwhile, do more than help rural Idahoans stay healthy. They are important economic engines. Health services contribute significantly to disease prevention and management and play a vital role in supporting state and local economies.

In Idaho, the average doctor supports an estimated 12 jobs and generates about $1.9 million in economic benefits for their communities. Improving healthcare for Idahoans also means strengthening Idaho’s rural economies.

For more information about how the Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care is working to improve healthcare in rural parts of the state visit ruralhealth.dhw.idaho.gov.

Gina Pannell is bureau chief of the Bureau of Rural health and Primary Care in DHW’s Division of Public Health.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Tamara Prisock, administrator for the Division of Licensing and Certification (L&C) and a member of the department’s senior leadership team, is retiring today. She has worked for the department for 37 years in various roles, and for the last 10 years in her current position.

In her time as the administrator for L&C, Tamara has transformed it into a division focused on the people we serve. The division makes sure that Idaho healthcare facilities follow federal and state laws and rules. Staff oversee licensing and certification activities for 20 types of healthcare providers, including home health agencies, hospitals, residential assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospice agencies, and others. The division does its work in ways that promote peoples’ rights, well-being, safety, dignity, and the highest level of functional independence.

In addition to being division administrator, Tamara has also been the Rules Unit manager for the department since 2008.

Serving the public is very important to me. I’m always interested in hearing from others who have that same commitment, especially those who have years of public service experience. Here's a short Q&A with Tamara, from earlier this week.

What are two or three things you’ve learned in your time with the department?

I’ve learned that the breadth of the services DHW provides to Idahoans also provides infinite opportunities for those DHW employees who take it upon themselves to learn about what the department does outside of their own team or division and who keep themselves open to taking on new challenges, even when it seems scary.

I have also learned that the unflattering perceptions the general public might have about state employees is absolutely untrue when it comes to the people who work at DHW. Over the years, I have worked with some of the most talented, compassionate, and dedicated people on the planet. DHW employees truly care about the people we serve.

Is there anything you would do differently now, based on what you’ve learned?

Over the years, I have become a huge fan of public engagement when developing rules and policies. If I could do something differently, it would be to recognize the importance of that work from Day 1. Sometimes in state government, when we have so much work to do and limited resources, we can view public engagement as extra work we don’t have time to do. Working with the public to develop our rules and policies is essential to ensuring what we do really makes a difference in the lives of Idahoans.

What compelled you to come to work every day? Why do you feel this work is important?

During the 37 years I have been with DHW, I’ve been so fortunate to have the opportunities to work in so many areas of the department.

By far the most difficult job I have had at DHW has been the job I am leaving now – the Licensing and Certification administrator.

The other side of that coin is that is has also been the most rewarding job. The work done in this division directly contributes to the health and safety of some of the most vulnerable people in the state.

 As the division’s administrator, I also had the advantage of seeing how our amazing survey staff performed their work with commitment and compassion despite having to deal with the negative perceptions that come with performing regulatory work.

As Tamara is moving on, she is leaving the division in a good place and in good hands. Laura Stute is the new L&C administrator, and she joins the department after working for 18 years with the Saint Alphonsus Health System.

Tamara, thank you for your distinguished and dedicated service to DHW and to Idahoans.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Family caregivers represent more than one in five Americans, and that number continues to grow as the population increases and more people are diagnosed with debilitating disorders that require daily care. In Idaho, there are more than 300,000 caregivers, with 70 percent also working full- or part-time jobs while providing that care.

What is a family caregiver?

Family caregivers can be relatives or chosen family who provide care to people of any age, and sometimes provide care to multiple people at the same time.

Most people have either been caregivers, are now caregivers, will be caregivers, or will come to rely on a caregiver in the future. However, many caregivers don’t know that what they are doing has a name, or that the care they provide is of value.

Caregiving has clear benefits, but it can be taxing for people giving care. According to a 2020 report published by the AARP Public Policy Institute, caregivers are in worse health today than they were just seven years ago.

In Idaho 73.7 percent of caregivers reported having chronic health conditions, and 30.8 percent reported being depressed.  While many caregivers find providing care rewarding, they can experience a phenomenon called “caregiver stress,” which results from the many tasks and responsibilities taken on when they provide care.

November is National Caregivers Month and an opportunity to talk about some realistic ways caregivers can care for themselves. Below are nine important tips.

Seek support from other caregivers

Caregiving can be an isolating experience, but Caregivers don’t have to do it alone. Being able to talk with others who understand what caregivers are going through reduces stress, validates experiences, and gives connection and support.

There are a number of groups and organizations that support caregivers by offering a range of services and creating community and support groups.

The  Idaho Caregiver Alliance’s resource page is a great resource where caregivers can find contact information for a variety of caregiver groups: https://idahocaregiveralliance.com/resource-library/

Take care of your own health

Self-care is not selfish. Caregivers need to pay attention to physical and emotional symptoms that can affect their own health and wellbeing. Guarding against burnout and exhaustion increases the caregiver’s ability to ward off illness and provide quality to the care recipient.

Try to create balance between caring for others and caring for you. You can do this by:

• Get regular check-ups and don’t ignore  the signs of illness
• Take a break from caregiving
• Get exercise
• Get a flu shot
• Watch for signs of depression
• Laugh with a friend
• Take a daily vitamin supplement

To build a personalized caregiver plan reach out to the Idaho Family Caregiver Navigator Project: https://caregivernavigator.org/

Accept help and suggest specific things people can do to help

Caring for another person requires a significant investment of time and emotion, and that can eat into your responsibilities and peace of mind.

Some people have a hard time admitting they need help. They feel guilty thinking they can’t juggle everything themselves, or they believe no one else can do their job as well as they can. They forget that the totality of caregiving is made up of lots of individual tasks, not all of which are the same importance, or require the same skills.

Make a list of your responsibilities and categorize them, then ask for help with the list in hand so others can easily identify how to pitch in. Without clear communication, family members or friends may perceive that you have everything under control and don’t want to offend you or step on your toes. Others may need you to delegate specific tasks.

More tips about how to ask for help: https://www.caregiveraction.org/defining-help-you-need

Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a class offered in person or virtually across Idaho. It can help caregivers build the skill of delegation and accepting help: https://www.agingstrong.org/

Learn how to communicate effectively with doctors

Caregivers serve as a vital member of the healthcare team. If there are things getting in the way of you providing quality care to the person you are caring for, talk to their healthcare provider and develop a plan about how to improve the situation.

Remember, the federal law that protects the privacy of healthcare information, called HIPAA, does not prevent a healthcare provider from listening to a caregiver or receiving information from a caregiver regarding the patient’s history, treatment, or symptoms.  

Additional resources about how to communicate with medical professionals: https://www.caregiveraction.org/resources/how-talk-your-doctor

Caregiving is hard work so take respite breaks often

Replenishing reserves is an important skill when learning how to effectively care for another. Respite care may be planned or emergency, in-home or elsewhere, for a few hours or a few weeks. The purpose, however, remains the same, and that is to rest, recharge, and remember that there’s life beyond caregiving.

More information about respite: https://idahocaregiveralliance.com/resource-library/

Watch out for signs of depression

Some signs of depression include:

• Withdrawal from friends, family, and other loved ones
• Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
• Feeling down, irritable, or helpless
• Changes in appetite, weight, or both
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Emotional and physical exhaustion

Many caregivers whose lives have been radically and unexpectedly changed by caring for a loved one who is ill or disabled slip into a depressive state, but they don’t have to live under a dark cloud. Depression is an illness that can be managed.

If you’re feeling depressed and it is impairing your life and the care you provide, the first and most important step is to seek help. Simply telling a friend or family member about one’s feelings or making a list of all the things that seem off can start the process, and be a catalyst to getting the care you need and deserve.

For more about caregivers struggling with depression: https://www.caregiveraction.org/caregivers-and-depression

Organize medical information

One of the most important things a caregiver can do is create and maintain a comprehensive medical file about the person they’re caring for. Whether paper, electronic, or both, the information should be easy to update and share.

For a list of items to consider putting in the medical file: https://www.caregiveraction.org/patient-file-checklist

Make sure legal documents are in order

Similar to maintaining a medical file, caregivers should also organize and maintain a file of legal documents that includes information about maintaining a loved one’s finances or legal affairs. This may include power of attorney, living will, bills, deeds, stock and bond statements, and so-on.

Give yourself credit for doing the best you can in one of the toughest jobs there is

Last but far from least, caregivers should pause and give themselves credit for doing one of the most challenging jobs there is. People understand you’re not  doing it for credit, but you deserve a moment of gratitude.

Caregivers contribute to the fabric of communities and society at large. Resilient communities are comprised of people who can rely on each other, and caregivers should learn to rely on one another and remember to care for themselves, as well as care for their care recipient.

Although November is National Family Caregivers Month, I want you to know that I am continuously grateful for the time, energy, and care you give to keep our Idahoans safe and loved.

Tiffany Robb is health program manager for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias in the Division of Public Health.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

Friday marks a day off for government workers to observe an important holiday: Veterans Day.

Nov. 11 was formerly called Armistice Day for the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918. The federal legal holiday was observed on the fourth Monday in October in the mid-1970s. It reverted to Nov. 11 in 1978.

I’m thrilled we have a day set aside to honor the sacrifices and service of all veterans of the U.S. armed forces. With the support of their families, those in the military protect democracy and the freedoms that come with it. I am extremely grateful for their service.

The Department of Health and Welfare has at least 132 veterans who also are employees. There are probably many more – we don’t know about their service unless they choose to disclose it to us. I want to thank them all specifically for their service in the armed forces, but also for their continued dedication to serving Idahoans.

Military service can be challenging, and I’d like remind Idahoans experiencing any challenges from their service that we can help. The 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine works with community partners and agencies throughout Idaho and the nation to list information and resources that might be helpful for Idaho's veterans and military service members. 

Veterans and their families can search our online database at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/veteransmilitary or dial 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588 anywhere in Idaho to learn more.

If you know a veteran, please thank them for their service this weekend.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend. 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

 

RSV season has been officially declared in Idaho with virus activity increasing over the past two weeks across the state. There is no vaccine to protect against infection with RSV, but you can take action to help prevent spread. Many of the actions we recommended to prevent COVID-19 and seasonal influenza (the flu) can also help prevent RSV and are increasingly important, especially as the weather turns cold and we spend more time inside together.

RSV, an acronym for respiratory syncytial virus, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover without medical care after a week or two. Nearly all children in the U.S. have been infected with RSV by the age of 2. Although RSV is common, young children and older adults can develop serious illness requiring hospitalization.

The spread of RSV occurs through contact with respiratory droplets, often from a cough or sneeze of someone with RSV, or through direct contact by touching your face with unwashed hands after touching surfaces that have the virus on them. RSV can persist on surfaces for several hours and on hands for 30 minutes or more. People can spread the virus to others for three to eight days after showing signs of illness, but RSV can be spread even a few days before symptoms appear. Young infants and people who are immunocompromised can be contagious for up to four weeks.

In most healthy infants, RSV infection causes a mild upper respiratory tract illness with nasal congestion, a runny nose, cough, and low-grade fever. Infants less than 6 months old, those born prematurely (less than 34 weeks gestational age), and children 6 months to 2 years of age with chronic lung or heart disease, neuromuscular disorders, or immunocompromising conditions or therapies could be at risk of severe illness from RSV. In very young infants (particularly those born prematurely), the only signs and symptoms of infection may be lethargy, irritability, poor feeding, or even short periods when they stop breathing (apnea).

Adults infected with RSV may not have symptoms or develop mild symptoms such as runny nose, sore through, cough, headache, feeling tired or weak, and fever. Adults at high risk for severe illness, such as developing pneumonia, include those who are 65 years and older, have chronic lung or heart disease, or are immunocompromised.

It is important to protect people in high-risk groups from exposure to RSV. Parents, older adults, and caregivers should know the symptoms of RSV and who might be at risk for severe disease. People who have a higher risk of severe illness should avoid contact with sick people or settings, such as childcare centers, where RSV can easily spread. To prevent the spread of RSV, take some simple precautions:

• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Wash hands frequently
• Clean potentially contaminated surfaces
• Avoid sharing personal items like cups and utensils
• Avoid contact with those who are high risk of severe RSV, and
• Stay home and keep children home when sick.

Although there is no licensed vaccine for RSV, some are in clinical trials and could be available in the future. Being knowledgeable about RSV and how to avoid exposure are keys to halting the spread of the virus and protecting vulnerable people. Contact a healthcare provider if you think you or someone in your family might have RSV.

• For more prevention recommendations visit: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/prevention.html
• To learn more about RSV in Idaho, visit the Idaho RSV website: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/diseases-conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus
• To view Idaho RSV data: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/resp-synct.
• To learn more about RSV, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html

Luis Vela, MPH is an Epidemiologist within the Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of Communicable Disease, Epidemiology Section

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

It can be a scary thing to have a baby, even in the best of situations.

When situations are not the best, it can be downright terrifying.

In my best world, all babies would be born to parents who can care for them. While I would hope that no parent feels the need to give up their child, I know the reality is very different for too many.

The Idaho Safe Haven Act, passed in 2001, offers a safe option for parents who might otherwise abandon their baby. If a parent turns a baby over to a safe haven, the parent can remain anonymous and be sure that their baby will be taken care of and adopted by a family in a permanent home. The parent won’t be prosecuted for neglect or abandonment.

A safe haven is legally allowed to accept a baby if the baby is less than 30 days old and the baby is being taken to the safe haven by at least one of its parents. The parent is not required to give any information to the safe haven, but they may give medical or other details to make sure the baby gets the care he or she needs.

A safe haven is defined under the act as:

• Hospitals licensed in Idaho.
• Advanced practice professional nurses, including certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners and certified registered nurse anesthetists licensed or registered as listed in chapter 14, title 54, Idaho Code.
• Physician assistants licensed as listed in chapter 18, title 54, Idaho Code.
• Medical personnel acting or serving in the capacity as a licensed provider, affiliated with an Idaho EMS agency, including first responders and all levels of emergency medical technicians.
• A fire station operated by a city, a county, a tribal entity, a fire protection district, or a volunteer fire department if there are personnel on duty.

The safe haven would provide any urgent health and safety needs for the baby and then notify a peace officer. The peace officer would take protective custody of the baby and then deliver the baby to the Department of Health and Welfare. The baby would be placed with a foster family approved for adoption, and Child and Family Services workers would begin the process of finalizing a permanent home for the baby.

In my role as director, I sign 300-400 foster child adoptions a year . A very small number of those come from safe haven placements. Since the law has been enacted, we have had fewer than 35 children come into the department’s care through the Safe Haven Act, or one or two each year. But I’m grateful the biological parents of those children loved their babies enough to make the hardest choice of all, and that we as a state have been compassionate enough to give those children a chance.

If you are a parent who is struggling to provide healthcare for your children, or to put food on your table, help is available.

• Learn more about Medicaid for children
• Learn more about food assistance

If you would like to know more about adoptions in Idaho, more information is available by calling the Idaho CareLine at 2-1-1, or 800-926-2588.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

 

Each fall as the weather cools, the Department of Health and Welfare gets questions from anglers eager to cast lines in lakes or rivers where water quality warnings were made.

Water quality warnings are often because of detection of harmful cyanobacterial blooms (“harmful algal blooms”), caused by cyanobacteria and the toxins they can produce. Cyanobacterial blooms, which can be made worse by such things as nutrient pollution and warm water, can have public health, environmental, and economic effects.

As days shorten and the weather cools, it’s the final phase of the annual bloom season. Cyanobacteria populations are still present —but are beginning to decline. However, cyanobacteria do not disappear, and a portion of the bacteria will remain near the surface of a water body even when most of the population settles to the bottom.

Idahoans who love fishing, swimming, and dog walking  should consider avoiding areas that were recently still blooming and keep pets away. The toxins the bacteria produce are not visible and may remain in the water after the bloom has vanished.

This summer and fall, a number of warnings or advisories were issued for cyanobacterial  blooms in Idaho, most recently for Cascade Lake on the Payette River and Henry’s Lake at the headwaters of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.

As a general rule for anglers eager to return to their favorite fishing holes or dog walkers who want to let their pets swim, a body of water should not be considered free and clear until it is removed from the Public Health Warnings map at Get Healthy Idaho. Even then, advisories will be removed when toxins meet human health criteria, and dogs can become ill at lower levels, so relying solely on a public health advisory may not protect your pets.

Harmful algal blooms are a health concern throughout the United States. According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 states reported 227 harmful algal blooms that resulted in illness in 95 humans and at least 1,170 animals in 2020—the most recent year reported by the agency in depth. Of the affected animals, 94 percent died from their illnesses.

The bottom line for a number of Idaho waterways is that we can expect cyanobacteria don’t immediately disappear with cold weather and will be in the surface water for a while longer. We’re likely to see green patches of water until Idaho’s rivers and lakes ice over.

More resources:

Idaho Recreational Water Health Advisories: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/recreational-water-health-advisories

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare FAQ about harmful algal blooms: https://publicdocuments.dhw.idaho.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=22995&dbid=0&repo=PUBLIC-DOCUMENTS

CDC resources about harmful algal blooms: https://www.cdc.gov/habs/index.html

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality about harmful algal blooms: https://www.deq.idaho.gov/water-quality/surface-water/cyanobacteria-harmful-algal-blooms/

Brigitta Gruenberg is the Environmental Health Program manager in the Division of Public Health.  

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening Idahoans' health, safety, and independence. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.