CASTAIC (CNS) – Water contact activities can resume at Upper Castaic Lake Friday after recent treatment lowered harmful algae levels enough for the area to return to a “caution” status.
The California Department of Water Resources determined that algae levels at the upper lake had declined, allowing activities such as swimming, water skiing, fishing, kayaking, tubing, wakeboarding, windsurfing and use of personal watercraft to resume.
A “no contact” advisory had been in effect at the upper lake since June because of elevated levels of cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, which can pose health risks to people and animals.
Officials stressed that visitors should continue following posted advisories and avoid contact with visible algae or scum in the water or along the shoreline.
The county also urged visitors to closely monitor children and pets and warned against allowing animals to enter the water, drink lake water or consume algae accumulations along the shore.
People were also advised not to drink lake water or use it for cooking and to wash themselves, family members and pets with clean water after water activities.
Officials recommended that anglers discard fish entrails and clean fillets with tap or bottled water before cooking and avoid eating shellfish from affected areas.
The advisory does not affect the Castaic Lagoon or swim beach, which remained open during the algae bloom, according to the county.
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