There's no swimming, boating or Jet Skiing at a popular Massachusetts lake this weekend, a bummer for people who wanted to hit the water as the summer winds down.It's especially important to keep kids and pets away from the water of Webster Lake, the Webster Health Department said in a public health advisory, including North Pond, Middle Pond and South Pond, because of harmful algal blooms reported in the water. The advisory is in place for days."It's kind of sad because we're at the end of the season," said lake resi...
There's no swimming, boating or Jet Skiing at a popular Massachusetts lake this weekend, a bummer for people who wanted to hit the water as the summer winds down.
It's especially important to keep kids and pets away from the water of Webster Lake, the Webster Health Department said in a public health advisory, including North Pond, Middle Pond and South Pond, because of harmful algal blooms reported in the water. The advisory is in place for days.
"It's kind of sad because we're at the end of the season," said lake resident Chris Daggett. "It's been really quiet, like, eerily quiet."
Cyanobacteria is what's plaguing the water, which Webster Health Director Camille Griffin says is naturally occurring but can be made worse by heat and nutrients that run off from fertilizer and septic systems.
It's dangerous for people and pets to ingest, can cause irritation on skin and can cause asthma-like symptoms if you breathe in water spray, which is why boating and Jet Skiing aren't allowed during the advisory.
"A lot of the misinformation on social media is on the boats transporting it from one cove to another. That's not part of our concern," said Griffin. "From a health standpoint, the concern is that you could still breathe in the toxins through the spray of the boats, so Jet Skiing is obviously much more of a risky behavior, but even pontoons and speedboats, you can still get that mist."
While there is no exact timeline for reopening, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health requires two consecutive water samples, taken one week apart, to confirm safe toxin levels before the advisory can be lifted.
"I have been in touch with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and coordinating our initial tests starting early next week," Griffin said.
That means, at the earliest and if all goes well, the advisory could be lifted by the week of Aug. 25, according to Griffin.
Meanwhile, Webster's health department is asking for your help. They want to see your photos of the water, even if you think what you're seeing is only pollen. You can submit those photos and information here.
Webster Lake is far from the only Massachusetts body of water dealing with harmful algal blooms. The state reported over three dozen under advisories this week.