Homepage

Toxic Algal Bloom Closes Two Central New York Beaches Toxic Algal Bloom Plagues New York Beaches

Blooms shut-down beaches for the second time.

By Alyssa Lyons

Algae Bloom
© 2019 "The alien pond" by Neillwphoto is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

(TRACK 1)
JAMESVILLE AND VERONA BEACHES ARE CLOSED DUE TO TOXIC ALGAL BLOOMS. IT’S THE SECOND TIME THIS SUMMER BOTH BEACHES HAVE BEEN CLOSED. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HELTH ENGINEERING JEFF TILL SAYS THE TOXIC BLOOMS ARE A NATURAL OCCURRENCE.

“It’s a wait and we know it’s going to happen. We try to determine if an algae bloom is, or, or is a suspect, to be a harmful algal bloom with the potential to produce toxins. If it is, we immediately shut the beach down.”

(Track 2)
ALGAE BLOOMS ARE CURRENTLY UNPREVENTABLE. ACCORDING TO TILL, THE RAPID GROWTH IS A RESULT OF A WET SPRING AND EXCESSIVE HEAT. BEACH GO’ERS WILL HAVE TO FIND A NEW LOCATION TO COOL OFF.

“It’s incumbent on us to really pay attention and to make sure that people aren’t swimming. Is it a bother? Yes, it is. You know, these people want to go in, they want to cool off they want to take their families.”

(Track 3)
BOTH BEACHES WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL TESTS CONFIRM THERE IS NO TOXIC BLOOMS IN THE WATER.ALYSSA LYONS, N-C-C News.

By Alyssa Lyons Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News)— Two Central New York Beaches are closed after a massive breakout of toxic algae blooms. 

Jamesville Beach Park in Onondaga County and Verona Beach State Park at the east end of Oneida Lake are closed for the second time this summer. 

Onondaga County Director of Public Health Engineering Jeff Till says the build up of the blue-green algae is a result of a very wet spring, and an incredibly hot summer. There is no current preventable solutions to the toxic blooms, “It’s just a watch, and you know, deal with it when it comes. It’s just a natural occurrence. So when we see it, that’s when we react” said Till. 

As for beach visitors, algal toxins can sicken and prove to be potentially fatal to the human body as well as dogs. If water appears green, brown or blue and has foam, scum and smells bad, an algal bloom is most likely forming. It is best to stay away, Till said, “It’s incumbent on us to really pay attention and to make sure that people aren’t swimming. Is it a bother? Yes, it is. You know, these people want to go in, they want to cool off, they want to take their families.”

In the past two weeks, according to the State Department of Environmental Conservation, over 40 bodies of water in New York have had confirmed, or showed warning signs of toxic algae blooms. Jamesville and Verona Beaches will be closed until tests exhibit no signs of toxic blooms in the water. 

Related Articles