PORTLAND, Ore. — For an ever-moving waterway, the Willamette River near Portland sure looked like a still pond full of unidentifiable green scum on Monday — a matter of concern for a lot of people, considering the area's propensity for toxic algae blooms.
But when KGW reached out to city and state officials to find out what it was, there was one clear consensus: it's not algae. It doesn't seem to be sewage, either.
A spokesperson for Portland's Environmental Services team said that they were aware of the "green masses coursing through Portland" and had reported them to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
"As for Environmental Services, the city’s sewer and stormwater utility — all our systems continue to operate as usual to prevent pollution and protect public health and the environment," said Diane Dulken, public information officer for the Bureau of Environmental Services. "There is no indication the green stuff is connected to or originates from the city’s sewer and stormwater system."
For their part, DEQ said that they were already on the case. After talking the green "substance" over with toxicologists from the Oregon Health Authority, they determined that the stuff wasn't algae or related to any cyanotoxins.
"It appears to be aquatic plants that were likely dislodged by recent rain in the area. Floating aquatic plants are not considered toxic," said Susan Mills, public affairs specialist with DEQ.
Many Portland area residents who saw the river filled with the green plants, thought for sure it was another algae bloom.
"I thought it was algae bloom when I first saw it, but it seems like it's dispersing a little bit, it's not intense as the algae bloom from this summer," said Thuy Le, who was sitting along the river during her lunch break Tuesday afternoon.
According to Jonathan Modie, lead communications officer for OHA's public health division, the two agencies theorize that the plants grew like a weed in a low spot of the river over the summer, but recent rain swept them out into the river.
The green stuff isn't being tested for cyanotoxins because it doesn't resemble harmful algae, but officials from both state agencies said that the public shouldn't have anything to worry about.