Glimmerglass State Park Beach is closed until further notice, beginning July 27, due to a harmful algal bloom (HAB).
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the closure of the park is necessary to protect public health and safety.
People, pets, and livestock should avoid contact with any floating mats, scums, or discolored water. Colors can include shades of green, blue-green, yellow, brown or red, according to the DEC.
It is also advised to never drink, prepare food, cook, or make ice with untreated surface water, whether or not algae blooms are present. In addition to toxins, untreated water may contain bacteria, parasites, or viruses that could cause illness, the DEC said.
Home treatments for surface water should not be utilized during an algal bloom because treatments such as boiling, disinfecting with chlorine or ultraviolet (UV) and water filtration units do not protect people from toxins that HABs excrete, according to the DEC.
The DEC also states that favorable conditions for HABs can be caused by excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, low-water or low-flow conditions, excess sunlight, and warm temperatures.
HABs can also be short-lived, appearing and disappearing within hours, or long-lived, persisting for six weeks or more, the DEC said.
Those who have been in contact with HABs should rinse themselves thoroughly with clean water to remove the algae and should see medical attention immediately especially if symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, skin, eye or throat irritation, allergic reactions or breathing difficulties occur, the DEC said.
The DEC also maintains a HABs notifications page of waterbodies that currently have blooms.
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