Upstate NY beach closed to swimming because of suspected blue-green algae
CANANDAIGUA — The Kershaw Park bathing beach on Canandaigua Lake in the city of Canandaigua is closed to swimming because of a suspected harmful algal bloom in the swim area seen Monday, July 29.
Sandy Bottom Beach on Honeoye Lake in the town of Richmond also, is closed because a reported HAB in the swim area on the evening of July 29.
The Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association reported that blooms were observed July 23 on the east side of Canandaigua Lake, resulting in the closure of Deep Run Beach.
Two cyanoHABs samples were collected that day and brought to the certified laboratory at the Finger Lakes Institute in Geneva for analysis. The blue-green chlorophyll content in the samples confirmed the blooms, as both were more than six times the DEC’s threshold of 25 micrograms per liter, according to the Watershed Association.
Blooms have the potential to produce high toxins, so residents are asked to exercise caution and avoid areas that have green discolored water, surface streaking, a pea-soup like appearance or scums.
Here’s what a harmful algal bloom, or HAB, from a Gorham beach area last fall, can look like. Suspected HABs have resulted in the closing of Kershaw and Sandy Bottom beaches in Canandaigua and Richmond, respectively.
Exposure to blue-green algae can be harmful for both humans and animals. Anyone who comes in contact with blooms should wash the impacted area with soap and water, or use clean water to rinse it thoroughly.
To report suspicious blooms or for more information, email the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association at [email protected]. For more information contact the Ontario County Department of Public Health at 585-396-4343.
This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Kershaw beach in Canandaigua closed to swimming because of algae
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