All county public swimming beaches have been reopened.
According to the county Health Department's beach monitoring program website, the beach at Lakeside Park in Mayville and Chautauqua Institution's Children's beach and Pier beach at the College Club have been reopened for swimmers. The beaches were closed earlier this week because of blue-green algae.
The algae, known also as cyanobacteria, are microscopic organisms that are naturally present in lakes and streams. It is usually present in low numbers, but blue-green algae can become abundant in warm, shallow and undisturbed surface water that receives a lot of sunlight.
People should suspect that blue-green algae could be present in water that is visibly discolored or that has surface scum. Colors can include shades of green, blue-green, yellow, brown or red.
Consuming water containing high levels of blue-green algal toxins has been associated with effects on the liver and on the nervous system in laboratory animals, pets, livestock and people. Contact such as swimming or showering with water that contains high levels of toxin should also be avoided as it can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat and inflammation in the respiratory tract and could accidentally be ingested.
For more information on beach closings in the county, visit www.co.chautauqua.ny.us/departments/health/pages/beachmonitoring.aspx.