It’s not the news would-be beachgoers wanted to hear with the number of summer weekends dwindling.
The beach at Kershaw Park in Canandaigua will remain closed through Monday, Aug. 10. The beach will reopen if the state Department of Health determines it’s safe, based on test results.
Canandaigia officials on Friday afternoon made the announcement, which comes after city officials closed both the public beach and dog beach and small craft launch at Kershaw Park Thursday afternoon and Friday because harmful algal blooms, or blue-green algae, were found in the water.
The first harmful algal bloom of the summer season was reported by volunteers with the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association on July 24.
The Watershed Association reported 10 harmful algal blooms from July 31 to Aug. 6. The blooms, according to its most recent weekly water quality update, were found on both sides of the north end of the lake and also mid-lake.
Water clarity also was down, according to the update.
When harmful algal blooms are present, stay out of the water
The harmful blue-green algae looks like green parallel streaks on the water surface. It can also look like spilled paint or have a pea soup appearance.
When blooms are visible, avoid playing and swimming in the water. Also avoid jet-skiing and tubing through blue-green streaks and blooms because accidental inhalation is also a pathway for ingestion.
Don’t eat fish caught during blooms. Also, keep pets from entering the lake where blooms are present.
For more information on harmful algal blooms on Canandaigua Lake
The Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association shares bloom reports, along with other information, on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CanandaiguaLakeWatershed/ and on its website at https://www.canandaigualakeassoc.org/.
The harmful algal bloom map on the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association site is updated more frequently than the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s map. Check https://www.canandaigualakeassoc.org/…/shoreline-habs…/ for the most current information on Canandaigua Lake.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Kershaw beach in Canandaigua closes for the weekend
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
