Lake Del Valle's East Beach Reopens, West Beach Remains Closed

LIVERMORE, CA — Lake Del Valle East Beach reopened for the July 4 weekend after being closed since May due to a toxic algae bloom, the East Bay Regional Park District announced. West Beach remains closed.

While swimming in the East Beach is open, a Blue-Green Algae caution advisory remains, and swimmers are advised to avoid swallowing the water.

The beaches have been closed on and off since 2014, when the first harmful algal bloom was detected. Since then, the parks district has set up a close monitoring system for the blooms. The Del Valle drinking water plant is tested regularly to ensure algal blooms do not impact drinking water sourced from the reservoir, the park district said.

The harmful and toxic algae can range from bright green, dark green, blue-green, orange and brown. They can be found in water columns and can be seen floating detached at the surface of some swimming holes or growing along the bottom of river beds.
Exposure can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, or even death at high levels of exposure, according to the California Department of Public Health. Over the past few years, several dog deaths in California have been attributed to the blooms.

See here for more information on harmful algae blooms.

—Patch staffers Michael Wittner and Dan Hampton contributed to this report.