Lake Niapenco safe to swim

It’s safe for you and your pets to swim in Lake Niapenco.

The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority warned the public in mid-August that a rare bluegreen algae bloom had been discovered in the normally pristine reservoir in Binbrook.

The beach was closed to the public on the advice of the Hamilton public health department — the first time the popular swimming hole has ever had to close due to potentially toxin-producing cyanobacteria. Additional testing, however, showed the algae was “non toxic,” said conservation authority spokesperson Michael Reles.

The public health department has stopped beach water testing for the year, but Reles said the reservoir beach is open to the public again. He added it is still likely the oxygen-depleting algae bloom contributed to the death of dozens of carp in August.