Harmful algae bloom pops up yet again in Ross Island lagoon

Catch up quick: Before 1926, there was a channel that flowed between two islands where Ross Island sits today.

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers filled in the channel that year to facilitate gravel extraction, creating a stagnant lagoon on the island's east side.
• That stagnant pool, combined with high temperatures like we've seen over the last several days, creates ideal conditions for algae blooms.

Threat level: Blue-green algae contains dangerous cyanotoxins that can kill pets.

• In June, a dog reportedly died after coming in contact with algae at Sellwood Riverfront Park, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

What they're doing: A plan has been in the works for several years to restore the channel through the island.

• The channel "would bring water circulation and break up the lagoon's stagnation," according to the Human Access Project (HAP), a nonprofit seeking to rehab the reputation of the Willamette, and the river itself.
• Backers of the plan have raised nearly $1 million and are on track to have roughly a third of the engineering work done by next spring.

What they're saying: The Willamette is "our city's greatest natural asset — and it needs our care," Willie Levenson, executive director of HAP, wrote in a statement, adding that the nonprofit will need help to fix it.

• "It is due time for the State of Oregon to stop being a passive observer and take meaningful steps to solve this problem."