We just got notification from Samatha Stevens, Senior Environmental Health Specialist with Sonoma County Environmental Health, that the North Coast Regional Quality Control Board has requested the sign at Pattterson Point be changed from “Check for Algae” to a “Toxic Algal Alert” due to the amount of benthic Cyanobacteria observed at PPP’s beaches. (More than 15% coverage is the monitoring criteria that triggers changing the sign.)

Please use caution when swimming or boating near the Preserve. Sonoma County Environmental Health tests the water and posts the results on signs on the Preserve. Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) are a common occurrence and can be toxic; signs will be updated when algal mats are present. For more detail on river water quality see the county's Russian River Beaches Water Quality Test Results for Patterson Point.