Albert Lea puts out no swim advisory after algae blooms in Fountain Lake

(ABC 6 News) – This isn’t a new problem at Fountain Lake but it is a real safety concern.

The water is green from a bloom of blue-green algae and signs are posted alerting people not to get in and swim. There is a range of conditions that could be favorable for the growth of this potentially harmful algae, but experts say the lack of rain could be a leading factor.

It’s actually bacteria and when the conditions are right, it grows into algae blooms which as of Wednesday, could be seen along the beach at Fountain Lake. The sign said no swimming and that goes for both people and pets.

One fisherman said it is a problem.

“I try to cast where the algae bloom is not because there’s fish around the algae bloom and it takes your bob under, it’ll take your hook into that,” Wayne Wurst said.

In response to the warnings, the City of Albert Lea did issue the following statement:

“Conditions can change quickly with wind, rain, and cooler temperatures, so people recreating on the water should always scan the water for potentially harmful algae, whether or not an advisory has been issued.”

City of Albert Lea

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, children are at the biggest risk from this kind of algae, so it’s more important to monitor their activities in waters that may contain blue-green algae.