The following is and excerpt from a book in press: POISONS: POISONOUS, EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL PLANTS by W. T. Barry

Some while ago, when America was younger, this old professor was investigating St. Ignatius Reservoir (Nine Pipes Reservoir) Montana with other researchers from the University of Montana Biology Station which is just a few miles North. For thirty hours in a stunning, remarkable manifestation of rapid reproduction, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae suffocated St. Ignatius Reservoir. A layer of algae three to four centimeters thick covered the entire Reservoir. Animals which could, left the water, fish died, in short the entire subsurface environment was thrown into chaos. Countless organisms died or moved out. Eventually, in a matter of days, the bloom died back and the Reservoir recovered completely. The loss of light to the substrate was the problem. Meanwhile, back at the biology station the St. Ignatius "poisoning" was the main topic of bull sessions. In spite of efforts by Dr. G. W. Prescott, a world authority on algae, this old scientist and other algae experts stating emphatically that there was no poisoning, no poison, no toxin involved, the story persisted. Even years later the story of the "poisoning " of St. Ignatius was prevalent.

In 1980. this old water researcher with the cooperation of the Director of the Spokane County District Health Department, shut down water use at Newman Lake near Spokane, Washington because of a bloom of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. Residents, who had experienced such blooms for years were furious. The shut down was influenced by erroneous literature concerning Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and by a poisonous bloom of Anabaena flos-aquae five years earlier on Lake Spokane. Also, there was a desire to “play it safe”. The Professor and the Director suffered in the press, suffered chagrin at the Health Department and suffered embarrassment at the University.

The action taken was predicated on using a bit of evidence and making it all to inclusive. Everyone is familiar with the error of accepting data which is weak, unsubstantiated, not replicated or simply that folks wrote about apples after investigating oranges.

It is hoped that these pages will provide some understanding where confusion prevails, clarity where a fog has set in, and comfort to replace anxiety.

It is easy to "jump the gun" when rushing to judgment.