AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- City of Austin officials are once again warning about the dangers of blue-green algae in area waterways, especially as temperatures begin to heat up as we get closer to summer.
Staff testing collected algae samples from all monitoring sites on Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin, except for the Walsh Boat Landing. These samples were collected between May 2 and May 12.
The sampling program has continued every year since 2019, after several dogs died after swimming in Lady Bird Lake. Sampling along Lake Austin began in 2020, and has also detected toxic algae every year.
Test results are not expected back until June for the samples that were taken in early May; officials say everyone should assume the algae blooms are toxic until test results prove otherwise.
More information is available on the City's website at AustinTexas.gov/algae.
Swimming is prohibited in Lady Bird Lake. People and pets should avoid contact with the algae, and not drink water directly from the lake. Dogs should not be allowed to lick their fur before being rinsed off after swimming in the lake.
