The Walworth County Division of Public Health, in partnership with the Geneva Lake Environmental Agency (GLEA) and the City of Lake Geneva, has officially closed the Lake Geneva Public Beach at the Riviera. The Big Foot Beach State Park beach will also be closed, per the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. A harmful algae bloom has been reported. Please avoid aquatic recreation and swimming in this area.
To ensure public safety, GLEA and Walworth County Public Health continue to actively sample the algae blooms in the city and lake-wide to determine the strain of Cyanobacteria and its toxicity level.
Blue-green algae, known as Cyanobacteria, are microscopic organisms naturally present at low levels in lakes, streams, and ponds. When conditions are favorable, usually in summer, the number of algae can increase dramatically. Some algal species produce toxins that, when ingested, can harm the neurological systems or liver of people, pets, livestock, and wildlife, and can cause other health problems.
There is no way to know immediately whether an algal bloom is harmful, so follow these tips to try and avoid contact with harmful algae:
- Do not swim in or near algal blooms
- Avoid water where blue-green algae appear as scums on the surface of the water, pea-soup-like discoloration, or a paint-like sheen
- Don’t swallow water while swimming
- Wash off after swimming in any lake, river, or pond to reduce the chance of illness
- Keep your pets away from algal blooms and rinse them off with clean water after swimming in lakes and ponds to reduce exposure to algal material
Symptoms of algae-related illness include:
- Sore throat, congestion, cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing
- Eye irritation
- Itchy, red skin, with or without blisters and/or hives
- Earache
- Agitation, headache
- Abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting
Members of the public and veterinarians should call 608-266-1120 or complete the online form Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) Illness or Sighting Survey, F-02152 (web survey) to report any blue-green algae blooms and related human or animal illnesses.
For more information on harmful algae blooms, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/harmful-algal-blooms.
Editor’s note: The image on the homepage is not a photo of either of the above lakes.
