Algae bloom closes Cochiti to swimming

For the second time this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is prohibiting swimming at a state lake after finding a toxic blue-green algae bloom in the water.

On Aug. 13, it was Abiquiú Lake. On Thursday, the Army Corps announced it is closing the swimming beach at Cochiti Lake — though other recreation areas, including the boat ramps and campground, remain open.

The closure will remain in place until “levels no longer pose an increased threat to humans and animals,” Elizabeth Lockyear, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Albuquerque District, said in a news release.

Closure signs are posted at the recreation area entrance, the boat ramps, the swim beach gate, the campground host office and on all bulletin boards, the release said. The U.S. Army Corps also is warning people to be cautious during water recreation activities at the lake, including kayaking, paddle boarding, canoeing and water skiing.

“Fish caught at Cochiti Lake may be eaten, however it’s advised to do so in moderation and to avoid eating the guts of the fish, where accumulation of toxins may occur,” the release said.

Those blooms, if they carry cyanobacteria, can cause health problems for people and animals if ingested, inhaled or touched. Skin exposure can lead to rashes, hives and blisters. Swallowing the water can lead to stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea.

For dogs, symptoms can include drooling, staggering, difficulty with breathing, convulsions and death.

The algae blooms, which can grow in fresh or marine water, are the result of a number of factors, including the amount of sunlight, high temperatures, low water levels and the impact of pollutants in runoff water.

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit activism organization in Washington, D.C., released a report earlier this month saying blue-green algae is found in hundreds of lakes, rivers and other water bodies around the country, but authorities do little to notify the public about them.

The report says not all blue-green algae blooms are toxic.

Over the past week, health officials in Colorado have warned people not to swim in a number of lakes found to have toxic blue-green algae blooms.