A harmful algal bloom at the Highland Glen Park pond is still active weeks after the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) first issued a health advisory for the site.

Highland City confirmed the bloom's presence on Thursday, Sept. 10, on X, warning residents to stay out of the water. The city said temporary warning signs are posted at the park and new permanent signs now include a QR code visitors can scan to check real-time water quality levels through the DEQ.

The permanent signage is new. The health advisory is not.

ABC4 first reported the DEQ advisory for Highland Glen earlier this summer, noting that the Friends of Highland Glen Park Pond had flagged the algae's dangerous toxins. The bloom has now outlasted the DEQ's own general guidance on duration.

In a July 30 ABC4 report on Utah Lake bloom advisories, the DEQ said "blooms generally die and disappear after about a week or two." The agency added that toxins can linger for days after a bloom dissipates.

The health advisory carries specific restrictions. Visitors should not drink or swallow pond water, swim or wade, or let pets near the water. Boaters should steer clear of visible algae. Anglers may fish but should discard the skin and guts of any catch.

Harmful algal blooms, also called blue-green algae, are caused by cyanobacteria that thrive in warm, sunlit, stagnant water with high nutrient levels, according to the DEQ. Contact can irritate skin, eyes, nose, throat and airways. Swallowing contaminated water can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and kidney or liver damage. In severe cases, the DEQ has warned of permanent organ damage or death.

Pets are especially vulnerable.

The DEQ advises watching for excessive drooling, vomiting, stumbling, muscle tremors, difficulty breathing, and in serious cases, seizures or paralysis.

Anyone who touches bloom-affected water should rinse off with clean water immediately. The Utah Poison Control Center is available at 800-222-1222.

Highland City directed residents to the DEQ's recreational water quality page for the latest updates. That page was last updated Sept. 10.