SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The agencies that sampled water at El Dorado Beach and Nevada Beach last week have detected no toxins associated with harmful algal blooms in the lake. These are sites viral social media posts purported could be where a dog ingested harmful cyanobacteria and later died.

“The agencies involved in water-sample testing cannot draw conclusions about the cause of death for the dog from these results;” the California State Water Resources Control Board and Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ announcement reads, “they can only speak to evaluating water quality and the presence of HABs.”

Last week, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board told the tribune that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife attempted to reach the dog owner to get information on veterinarian who treated the dog.

The California water board could not confirm if contact was made. They could only provide that interviews are a part of the investigation process, but they are not making those interviews public yet.

However, a video on the dog owner’s Tik Tok posted on July 13 reveals they have been working with the California Interagency Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB)-related Illness Workgroup. Vet records, an incident timelines and video footage are all evidence they say they’ve provided the state of California. “The investigation is very thorough,” the dog owners says in the video, “The government is taking this very seriously.”

While agencies found no sign of HABs in the lake itself, the NDEP did find very low levels of a cyanotoxin, called saxitoxin, from a sample of a shallow pond adjacent to Nevada Beach. This pond is not connected to Lake Tahoe.

The pond is already partially fenced off but the Lahontan water board and NDEP are recommending more fencing to prevent dogs and owners from accessing the area.

This last week, the City of South Lake Tahoe issued signs as a precaution that HABs may be present at El Dorado Beach. The Lahontan water board now recommends no advisory is needed there and the site is safe for recreational activities. NDEP has provided the same recommendation for the lake itself at Nevada Beach, but has issued a HAB Watch advisory for the pond.

Despite the advisory lift, both agencies urge the public to remain vigilant when visiting waterbodies, to be aware of how to identify and report suspected HABs. The California water board has a visual guide on how to decipher non-harmful algae from potentially toxic algae on their website.

The California water quality board provides a portal with more information on blooms in Californa.

In Nevada, the Department of Health and Human Services provides information on Nevada specific blooms and NDEP provides a weekly update.

The interagency workgroup is continuing to investigate.