Press Release
July 10, 2024
Lake Welch Beach Closed for Treatment of Harmful Algal Bloom
Visitors should seek alternate parks for
swimming and picnicking
An algaecide is being applied
to Lake Welch to provide targeted treatment and minimize the spread of the
bloom. Conditions will be reassessed next week to determine when the beach
can reopen. The HAB at Lake Welch was first observed on Tuesday, July 9.
Updates on
swimming conditions at Lake Welch will be posted on the website https://parks.ny.gov/parks/lakewelch/details.aspx as well as the mobile app.
Visitors
heading to Lake Welch should consider alternate destinations in Harriman
State Park or visiting other state parks. A list of swimming options
throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond is available at https://parks.ny.gov/recreation/swimming/.
HABs typically
occur in areas with calm water, higher levels of nutrients, and warm weather,
but the exact causes of HABs are unknown and can vary greatly. Exposure to
algae blooms can cause health effects in people and animals when water with
blooms are touched, swallowed, or when airborne droplets are inhaled.
Exposure to high levels of algae and their toxins can cause diarrhea, nausea
or vomiting; skin, eye or throat irritation; and allergic reactions or
breathing difficulties. Recreational exposures can occur while swimming,
wading, fishing, or boating in areas with HABs.
The New York State
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250
parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and
more, which saw a record 84 million visits in 2023. For more information on
any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov,
download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Join us in celebrating our
Centennial throughout 2024, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly
Twitter), and the OPRHP Blog