Albemarle County announced that the Harmful Algae Bloom Advisory for Chris Green Lake has been lifted. The lake will reopen for recreation tomorrow, Friday, June 29. In a show of goodwill, the County is waiving the entrance fees to Chris Greene Lake Park for park guests tomorrow.
The Thomas Jefferson Health Department issued an advisory on June 18, when an unsafe level of harmful algae species were detected in Chris Greene Lake. Albemarle County Parks and Recreation staff coordinated with the Virginia Department of Health and TJHD to monitor the bloom. Two consecutive lake water sample results have indicated that toxin concentrations are at safe levels. This morning the Thomas Jefferson Health District announced that they lifted the public advisory to avoid water contact at Chris Greene Lake.
Albemarle County Parks and Recreation will continue to monitor water quality in Chris Greene Lake and our other swimming lakes during the swimming season. In our ongoing efforts to mitigate high nutrient levels in the lake, Parks and Recreation has teamed up with the Environmental Services Division. We intend to set up a system to monitor the flow into and out of Chris Greene Lake to see if we can begin to pinpoint the source of the issue, as well as develop a public awareness campaign about the impacts of runoff to our community water.
For more information on harmful algae blooms and what the Virginia Department of Health is doing to protect public health in recreational areas, visit www.SwimHealthyVa.com.
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