The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Resources advised the public to avoid contact with green or blue water in the Pamlico River due to an algal bloom and related fish kill that has lingered in the area since the end of August, according to a news release.
The bloom stretches from Blounts Bay to Aurora, and affects Beaufort County. The release said algal blooms tend to move due to wind and wave action. The Division of Water Resources has identified the bloom as a kind of Cyanobacteria that could produce a toxin, but no toxin has been detected yet. They will continue testing the water to determine if toxins are present. People are generally encouraged to avoid contact with large accumulations of algae and keep pets away as well.