Toxic algae found in Charlotte area lake. It could kill your pets, officials warn.
A citizen’s tip led to the discovery of potentially toxic blue-green algae in a Lake Wylie cove that government officials warn could kill your pets and sicken your children.
After the resident called to report discolored water in Boyds Cove, staff with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services found active blue-green algae in part of the cove, the department posted on CharMeck.gov.
The discovery prompted a warning by the Mecklenburg County Health Department to keep children and pets “from water that appears bright green, blue, discolored or scummy.”
Avoid touching or holding large algae mats, officials said, and never touch, cook or eat dead fish found near the algae.
If you do touch any of the bloom, thoroughly wash your hands with clean water. Rinse off pets that contacted the algae with clean water, too.
Seek immediate medical attention if your child was in the water and falls ill, officials said. Watch for such symptoms in your child as “loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, itchy skin or rash,” according to the post.
Algae blooms occur naturally in lakes and ponds, officials said. Cyanobacteria blooms are typically bright green or yellow. As the blooms begin to decay, they turn milky blue and smell bad.
Workers are looking for blooms elsewhere in the lake, and the county will alert the public if they find more, officials said.
If you see such a bloom in Mecklenburg County waters, call 311.
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Toxic algae found in Charlotte area lake. It could kill your pets, officials warn.."