Tracking Heat and Harmful Algal Blooms

August 2021

California's record-breaking high temperatures remind us that the climate crisis is here. The heat and drought puts health at risk by changing ecosystems and by creating dangerous living and working conditions. Today we share two projects that aim to address these impacts.

In the ARC Project (Achieving Resilient Communities) we are working with community members in Ventura County to set-up heat monitors and to alert the community about dangerous levels of air pollution.

In the Cal-WATCH Study (California Water: Assessment of Toxins for Community Health) we are working with community members in Lake County to track instances of harmful algal blooms and exposures to humans and animals.

The more we understand how the climate is changing in California, the better we can prepare our adaptation and mitigation efforts. Learn more about these projects and our efforts below!

David Chang

Project Coordinator (Cal-WATCH Study)

Isadora Nogueira

Research Associate (Cal-WATCH Study, ARC Project)

Heat monitoring and air pollution alerts in Ventura County

To address the heat, we must understand the factors that impact the local heat environment. Over the past few months, the ARC team has mapped tree canopy in Oxnard and surveyed parks for shade, working water fountains, and green space. With our partners, we also set up a route for mobile heat monitoring and installed over 50 sensors at parks and bus stops.

In July, Tracking California staff traveled to Oxnard, California to officially launch the heat monitoring network and meet with local community partners, elected officials, and agricultural leaders.

"I think this project is so important because we're focusing and targeting areas where farmworkers congregate and where they work. A lot of the time, farmworkers aren't really appreciated as much, even though they help feed this country."

- Yesenia Gonzalez, intern

Recognizing the need to notify the community about air pollution, one of our partners in the ARC Project Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy helped create air pollution alerts. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District recently helped launch the text-based alert system for farmworkers to be notified (in English and Spanish) when air becomes unhealthy. We are working with partners to expand alert systems to further include indigenous languages and to also have an "audio" based option.

Surveying about Harmful Algal Blooms in Clear Lake

The higher temperatures create more hospitable conditions for algal blooms. In Clear Lake we are working with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians to distribute surveys to residents and visitors as part of the Cal-WATCH study. The effort is focused on tracking what people know about harmful algal blooms (HABs) and preventing the health impacts of exposure.

"Not all of what's out there is toxic. And not all that's toxic is noticeable, so it can be a little tricky."

- Sarah Ryan, Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians

In the coming years, the goal is to improve toxic bloom alert systems, especially in circumstances where HABs aren't easily noticeable. Surveys are still being collected online and in paper through Labor Day. If you've visited the lake within a year or live near the lake, we'd like to know.

Tracking California, formerly the California Environmental Health Tracking Program, is a program of the Public Health Institute in partnership with the California Department of Public Health. Tracking California is part of a national initiative coordinated by the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program.

This publication was supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number 5U38EH000953, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.