Toxic Algae Found In Prospect Park Lake For 5th Year, Test Shows

PARK SLOPE, NY — Toxic algae blooms, which can sicken humans and prove fatal for dogs, appeared in Prospect Park Lake for the fifth year in a row, state tests show.

Department of Environmental Conservation tests last week found the blooms across the lake once again polluting the popular spot for pups to take a dip, records show.

The park installed signs around the lake up warning people about the blue-green algae and not to let their dogs swim in the water since the blooms with "high toxins" were detected, a spokeswoman for the Prospect Park Alliance said.

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, gets formed by excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen getting into waters and overfeeding the algae inside, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Cyanobacteria can sicken people or animals who come in contact with or ingest it, with common symptoms like vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, skin irritation and more.

However, dogs face a larger risk than humans because they lap up lake water and lick their fur after a swim and exposure to the algae could be fatal for some, according to Cornell.

Because of the reappearance of the toxic algae in the park, the Prospect Park Alliance announced a $390,000 pilot last year to create a filtration system, dubbed "ecoWEIR," to clean excessive algae from the waters. A timeline has not be finalized for the project.

Aside from Prospect Park, the algae blooms were also found in lakes inside Central Park and the Bowne Park Pond in Queens this year, according to the DEC.

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