MAX
COURIER L M BR B G IFE, JUNE 7–13, 2019 31
Toxic algae returns
to Prospect Park
BY COLIN MIXSON
The blue death is back!
Summer has returned
to Brooklyn’s Backyard,
and with it comes outdoor
fun, barbecues, and
a seasonal bloom of toxic
blue-green algae, which
can give you a rash and
kill your dog.
Offi cials with the
State Department of Environmental
Conservation
have confi rmed a
May 28 sighting of the
noxious goo found fl oating
on the western edge
of Prospect Park Lake,
and are currently investigating
two additional
reports labeled as “suspicious”
on a new interactive
algae map the agency
published online.
This is the sixth-consecutive
summer that the
toxic algae, or cyanobacteria,
has bloomed in
Prospect Park Lake, and
meadow stewards at the
Prospect Park Alliance
are currently in the process
of installing signs
around the water instructing
park patrons
steer clear of the hazardous
material, and restrict
their pet’s nautical activities
to Dog Beach, which
is located near the Long
Meadow section of the
park and remains safe
from the toxin.
The blue-green algae
lies relatively dormant in
Prospect Park Lake during
most of the year, but
the aquatic fl ora blooms
during the summer, appearing
like blue-green
paint on the water’s surface
and producing two
types of deadly toxins.
The fi rst wreaks
havoc upon the liver, producing
symptoms that include
vomiting, seizures,
black feces, and diarrhea
within 24 hours of being
ingested, making the algae
a fatal threat to man’s
best friend, who can die
within days of lapping up
the lake.
Even more deadly,
the algae also excretes
a lethal neurotoxin that
yields immediate symptoms,
which include severe
drooling and tearing,
muscle spasms, and
tremors.
In extreme cases, animals
can die within an
GROSS!: Blue-green algae
found near the western
bank of Prospect Park Lake
on May 28. Department of
Environmental Conservation
hour of ingestion.
Two-legged park patrons
— who are expected
to refrain from drinking
lake water with, or without
toxic algae — should
take caution not to touch
the stuff, which can cause
a nasty rash for Brooklyn
boaters and anglers fi shing
on the lake.
The blue-green algae
feeds on phosphates
found in the city’s water
supply, which itself feeds
the lake, and the Alliance
was awarded a $390,000
state grant to fund the
installation of two fi ltration
systems designed to
prevent the algae’s favorite
food from entering the
park.
That was in 2017, and
while the all-natural fi ltration
systems has yet
to be installed, Alliance
spokeswoman Lucy
Gardner said the organization
is on the cusp
of selecting a contractor,
which should have
the fi lters up and running
before the season’s
out.
Meanwhile, state offi
cials are encouraging
locals to use the Department
of Environmental
Conservation’s new algae
map to track and report
potential blooms, according
to DEC Commissioner
Basil Seggos.
“The state’s new notifi
cation system allows
New Yorkers to be more
informed than ever before
about the location of
harmful algae blooms
so they can better protect
themselves, their families,
and their pets,” said
Seggos.