No Swimming At Indian Lake Due To Harmful Algae

WORCESTER, MA — In the midst of a heat wave, one of Worcester's top swimming destinations is closed.

Health officials closed Indian Lake to swimmers and other users on Thursday due to a cyanobacteria algae bloom. The bloom could contain toxins that can make people and pets very sick, and in rare cases lead to paralysis and even death.

"The municipality will continue to test for both cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, and reopen the lake when it is determined safe to do so," the city said in an advisory. "If you or your pet has had contact with surface scums, wash off with freshwater immediately. If your pet has ingested any of the scums, contact your vet."

Indian Lake features two main swimming areas at Indian Lake Park along Clason Road and Shore Park Beach along Shore Drive.

Worcester has tried to control cyanobacteria in Indian Lake by installing a polyaluminum chloride station on the northwest side of the lake at Arrarat Brook. The chemical controls nutrients in the water that feed algae blooms. But Arrat Brook has been running low recently, reducing the amount of polyaluminum chloride entering the lake.

Indian Lake is mostly a man-made body of water, damned at the south end in the 19th Century to provide water for the Blackstone Canal. The dam increased the size of what was once a small pond from 40 to about 200 acres, according to the Indian Lake Watershed Association.