Onondaga County, July 29, 2024 – The Onondaga County Health Department announced today that Jamesville Beach located in the Town of LaFayette and Gillie Lake in the Town of Camillus are both closed for swimming due to the visual presence of an algal bloom.
Once the beaches are visually free of algae for 24 hours, water sampling will be conducted to confirm there are no toxins before the beaches are reopened. Please note that this does not affect any of the parks’ other amenities during normal hours of operation.
Algal blooms can turn the water green and can form thick surface scums on the water. Certain types of algae can release toxins that may cause skin or eye irritation, or diarrhea and vomiting if ingested. People and animals should keep out of the water where algal blooms are present in any body of water.
The Health Department recommends taking the following precautions:
- Don’t swim, wade, boat, or fish near blooms or scums and don’t eat fish caught from waters with blooms
- Don’t drink the water
- Keep children and animals away from any blooms or scums
- Rinse with clean water if exposed
To learn more about blue-green algae visit:
- Blue-Green Algae and Health: ny.gov/HarmfulAlgae
- Pets and Algae Blooms: dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/habspets.pdf
- NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: ny.gov/hab
For future updates on the closure status of Jamesville Beach please visit www.onondagacountyparks.com/about/water-quality-testing/. For updates on Gillie Lake beach, please visit https://www.camillusrecreation.com/gillie-lake.
Image by Ewa Urban from Pixabay
