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Indian Lake closed after harmful algae detected

  • Posted by Worcester News Tue at 10:48 PM - Filed in News - #Worcester  #Indian Lake  - 468 views


    City of Worcester photo

    WORCESTER — Indian Lake has been closed to the public after testing found cyanobacteria levels exceeding the state's recreational public health threshold, city officials announced Tuesday.

    The city of Worcester Department of Sustainability and Resilience said testing results received Tuesday showed cyanobacteria concentrations high enough to potentially produce toxins harmful to people and pets. As a result, officials have closed the lake until further notice.

    The city is advising residents to stay out of the water, discontinue boating and fishing, and keep pets away from the lake until additional testing determines it is safe to reopen.

    Officials said the dominant cyanobacteria identified in the samples were the genera Microcystis, Planktolyngbya and Aphanocapsa, all of which have the capacity to produce toxins. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends the lake remain closed until follow-up testing shows cyanobacteria levels have fallen below the recreational safety threshold.

    Cyanobacteria occur naturally in lakes and ponds but can become hazardous when present in high concentrations. The city said it will continue monitoring Indian Lake and reopen the waterbody once testing confirms conditions are safe.

    Worcester maintains an active cyanobacteria monitoring and management program for its lakes. More information about cyanobacteria and water quality is available through the city's Blue Space program.

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